The Amarië
by Ebony L. Heart
Summary: A seemingly ghost of a figure, Caynna is never found, only happened upon. Her old friend calls upon her, and she now she finds herself being forced into an adventure with a group of dwarves plus a hobbit and a wizard. Along the way she will face her biggest challenge yet, and it is not just the enemies she is worried about facing. Updates Mondays
1. Chapter 1: An Eventful Night

Chapter 1: An Eventful Night

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**A/N: Thank you for stopping by and giving ****_The Amarië_**** a chance :) I appreciate that! Now, this is a separate story from the ****_Scarlet Eyes Trilogy _****that I have been working on, and is in no way related to it. This one is about...well...you'll see XD It ****_will _****be a bit of a Kili/OC fic, but I do not want to go overboard ****_at all_****. Just like ****_Scarlet Eyes_****, ****_The Amarië_**** will take a slow route in romance. I can tell you ****_for sure_****, that there will be ****_absolutely, positively, no way in hell _****that they will profess their love for each other nearing, at, or in Rivendell. Not happening. End of story. Good-bye. The END. Any questions? Nope? Cool! ...moving on...*clears throat*. I hope you will all enjoy this as much as you all did with what is up of the ****_Scarlet Eyes Trilogy_****. Anyway, onto the story! Oh, and just in case anyone needs them, translations: Amarië (Uh-mar-aye), Caynna (Cain-uh), Tilian (Till-ee-en).**

**Without further ado, let's begin...**

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A single, lone figure moved swiftly and silently in the night covered forest. It blended with the shadows, appearing and disappearing with rapid yet silent movements. They paused against the trunk of a large oak tree, their quarry in range.

A campfire was lit in the clearing, the orange and yellow flames licking the air and casting light about the faces of the shadow's quarry. The men, no bandits, crashed through the forest like a bunch of oliphants, their apparent lack of concealment clear. Two young women dressed in white, dirt covered dresses with their hands bound behind their backs and a cloth over their eyes were roughly shoved into the small clearing in the forest, the bandits laughter loud and raucous. The figure lingered behind the tree before crouching around the side, the shadows around them coming forth and concealing them from the ever moving eyes of the bandits. One woman had light golden locks that curled past her shoulders, and the other, no doubt her sister, had auburn hair that fell in graceful waves down to the middle of her back.

They were shoved to the ground close to the fire, a yell of surprise coming from both of them making the men laugh in delight. "Oi, you got any ale?" one bandit called to another, his hand trailing through the golden curled locks of the older woman, " 'Cause I need a drink before we start our own fun."

The hidden figure held in their anger with great difficulty. _That bastard will pay_, they thought as their grey cloak shifted slightly in the breeze, the subtle noise sounding like the stirring leaves about the forest.

"I do. I got some right here," another said as two more bandits came in with a large barrel of ale ready to be dished out.

"Aye, that'll do," the first gave a nod and a crude smile as he removed the cloth over the women's eyes. "Pretty ladies like you shouldn't have been out at night."

The women scooted closer to each other, and the hidden figure tensed as they prepared to attack the seven bandits. "Let us go, please," the golden hair lady begged. "We have money-"

"But _we _don't want money," the man interrupted as he gave a sinister look at the women, and they squirmed under the glance. "You fair ladies know what we want."

The younger of the two, the woman with the auburn hair, scooted closer to her sister as tears formed in her eyes. _Now's my chance, _the figure thought. _No need to let these bastards scare them too bad_.

In a swift motion, the figure had drawn three throwing knives and threw them, each of the five and a half inch long blades finding a throat to bury itself in. _Three down, four to go_, the figure thought with glee as they dashed forward drawing their short sword.

The bandits, taken by surprise, barely had time to register the shadowy figure moving to them. One bandit went to call out a warning to the others, yet his cry never left his throat as the cold, light steel slashed through the bandit's neck. He fell dead to the ground as his comrade got over his shock. As he drew his blade, the shadow shrouded figure drew another two throwing knives and threw them, one blade finding the neck of the bandit in front of them and the other in the neck of the bandit fleeing. _Six down,_ the figure thought as they straightened up and moved to the remaining bandit, _one to go._

The last bandit, the one who had been trailing his hand in the women's hair, now drew away from the surprisingly short, shadowy figure. He drew his sword from his side, the blade unfamiliar in his hands. "I-I'll kill you," he stuttered, obviously used to just bluffing when he had all his men, "I s-swear it!"

The short figure of five foot three inches advanced on the bandit slowly. "I mean it!" the bandit said, his voice cracking as he attempted to look menacing.

"No you don't," came a slender, feminine voice. "You couldn't escape me even if you tried."

The man gaped at her, and then the next thing he knew was a sword cutting his throat. He clutched at his bleeding throat, dropping his sword in the process as he looked like a strangling man falling to his knees. With a last gurgling breath, he dropped to the side, dead the ground. "Seven down," the slender, feminine voice came again as she turned to the terrified and still bound women, "none to go."

"M…Miss?" the youngest, auburn haired woman asked. "Are you going to…k…kill us?"

The cloaked female crouched in front of the two women and removed her hood. Her medium brown hair that had a slight red and gold sheen to it in the fire light was tied up in a French braid with three smaller braids on each side of her head (one above her ear, by her temple, and one close to her part) going back to the full length braid. Her dark, storm grey eyes peered at the two women, a kind-hearted spirit in them trying to give them comfort. Then, the two women noticed the scar that ran from just above her left eyebrow down to her the top of her left cheek bone passing right through the dark, storm grey eye that should have been, but wasn't shockingly, blind. "My name is Caynna, and I am _not _here to harm you," she said in the gentlest voice she could muster.

"I am Fayon," the golden hair woman said as her fear began to leave her, and then gestured to her sister with her head, "and this is Halyon. We-"

"Hail from Rohan, yes?" Caynna asked as she cut the women's binds with her dagger. "You two resemble the ladies of Rohan, and then your names are clearly Rohirrum. May I ask why you two are so far from Rohan? We are just past Isengard half way to Bree."

"We…" Fayon started then sneezed in a squeaky sound, her hand flying to her mouth before moving to her shoulders. "I'm sorry, I seem to have gotten a small chill. We were heading to Bree to meet up with a horse breeder when we were ambushed."

Caynna smiled and removed her tough leather-like cloak with a soft, lined inside and stood. The two women moved away from the dangerously close fire before Caynna draped the cloak about the older woman's shoulders. She then removed her shorter, thinner leather jacket with a soft inside as well and handed it to Halyon, the younger of the two being more resilient to the chilly weather. They finally got a good look at the woman that had saved them from whatever the bandits where bound to do to them. She wore a dark greyish brown leather jerkin that tied in the front, which, of course, fit to her feminine body. It covered her shoulders and fell short to frame her hips, accentuating her feminine features as best as it could with her lean, toned body. Under her jerkin she wore a greyish brown snug undershirt with long sleeves. Her dark greyish brown pants were snug to her legs as well and were tucked into dark brown, light traveling boots. On one hip rested a belt with two long daggers and a knife, and the other side had a pouch of throwing knives. As Caynna moved her hand to put her third dagger back on her hip, the two Rohirrum women noticed the grey-brown leather gauntlets and fingerless gloves on the other woman's hands.

Caynna smiled at their wide eyes before Halyon gulped down her shyness and gave a nod to the standing woman. "Not to be rude, miss," she said in a sweet, little voice, "but may I ask what are you? I mean…what is your race?"

"Well," Caynna gave a kind of mock grimace, "I am a part human, and part dwarf."

"How?"

"My father was a man, and my mother was mostly a dwarf with a small bit of man in her. That's why I am so short."

"And why you are broader and muscular than most woman."

"Yet still fair enough to be considered beautiful," Halyon said with an enthusiastic nod.

Caynna smiled and shook her head. "I am far from beautiful. Pretty enough for a man to have a small crush on would probably fit better," she said with a small smile.

"I think you are very pretty!" Halyon said with a smile.

_Oh, Mahal, she's one of those enthusiastic girls! _Caynna thought with a smile as she stuck her pointer and index finger in her mouth and whistled a loud, shrill sound. In response, the sound of hooves hitting dirt came from the forest, and soon a large, dark grey stallion with a thick black mane and tail trotted into the clearing, his movements sure and steady with the grace only a horse could somehow possess. Two other horses came out of the woods behind him; a bay splash mare with one blue eye and one brown, and a palomino mare. The two Rohirrum women jumped up and rushed their mounts, overjoyed expressions on their faces. Fayon turned to Caynna and walked back. "How did you find them?" Fayon asked.

"I didn't. Tilian did," Caynna said and her stallion arched his neck in answer.

"No way," Fayon said in disbelief as she examined the stallion. "Halyon, sister, come here."

Halyon looked over the stallion as well and gave a nod, Tilian giving the sisters a reproachful glance. "Still," Caynna said in a hushed voice, the horse giving a snort in reply.

"Tilian is his name?" Halyon asked again.

"Yes."

"Impossible…"

"What?"

"This stallion here," Fayon started and motioned to Tilian, "is of Rohirrum decent. _Royal_ decent. I would know this bone frame anywhere."

"He is," Caynna said with a nod, "on his father's side two generations or so back. He's a real pain in my ass some times."

Tilian gave an offended snort and turned his head up. "You are lucky to have him, Caynna…" Fayon started and then gave a frown. "Where do _you _hail from?"

Caynna gave a soft smile as the girls handed back her items. She removed her belt and her sword sheathes before she pulled on her jacket and tied the ties snug. She then put her belt back on and then strapped her short blade on her back before she then drew her cloak about her once more, and turned to the girls. "I hail from nowhere," Caynna said as she began to fix Tilian's saddle. "I grew up with a Ranger from the North. He taught me many of my skills before I left, the need to see the world too great to keep me back. I ended up in an assassin's guild where I trained for years to hone my other skills before I became a freelance Ranger and Assassin. Odd mix, yes, but it suits me well. So, where I hail I do not know as I never knew my parents only of what race they were a part of. That and I kind of figured it out. It is a bit obvious. But," Caynna turned from the saddle and looked at both women with her dark, storm grey eyes, "many call me Caynna, The _Amarië_."

"What is that?" Halyon asked as Caynna fixed a hidden short sword sheath on her back and a hidden dagger to the underside of each of her gauntlets.

Caynna mounted Tilian's saddle, the horse giving a snort of excitement. "The elves gave me the name. It is the _Ghost Shadow_, for I am both a ranger and an assassin with my own free will, not tied to any one place and only ever happened upon. Most of the times anyway. May you travel safe, Halyon and Fayon of Rohan. Do not rest until you get to Bree. Stay on the lookout and keep out of the forest at night if you can help it."

With that note, Caynna threw up her hood, gave a small bow of her head to the two women, and spurred Tilian back into the forest the way he came, the sun beginning to rise as a crisp, morning fog moved into the forest.

* * *

_The fire raged up about her, the flames licking and burning everything in their path. She couldn't move for her hands were bound. With some effort, she was about to break the binds, her wrists bloody from the constant tearing and pulling of the crude binds. Caynna rolled to the side just in time to avoid being crushed under a flaming beam of wood. She stood, her blood covered hand on her side trying to staunch the flow of blood that had stained her shirt crimson. She walked on unsteady feet like a drunkard, but her only thoughts were she needed to get out of there. Slowly but surely she was able to get her bearing about her and she took off at a run, her body aching in pain and crying out to stop._

_Caynna didn't. She kept running through the burning jail, her bare feet slapping the ground in silent steps. The roar of the fire and the crack of wood alerted her to the ceiling that was caving in. The exit was blocked by a door, though how it had yet to catch fire she did not know. With renewed hope, she charged the door and threw her shoulder into it. The door splintered and shattered on the impact as Caynna flew through it. She didn't have time to lay around as the rest of the building was up in the hot flames._

_As she stood, a sword snaked around her neck and held itself there. "Hello, my pretty," the sinister voice said as he held her arms in a tight grip, the bruises and cuts already on her arm now doubling in pain. "Where do you think you're going?"_

_"Let go of me, you bastard!" Caynna said with hate._

_The man laughed at her before whipping the girl around to face him. "You are feisty. You thought you could escape me, my little ghost?"_

_"The ceiling is about to crash down on us," Caynna said through her teeth. "If we stay here much longer we will die."_

_"You do care for me."_

_"Fuck you!"_

_The sword came down on her so fast she didn't have time to react except shut her eyes and dodge back as best as she could. The sword sliced down just above her eyebrow to her cheek bone. Caynna cried out in pain as the cold steel sliced through the thin skin, and her fear that she may have just been blinded in her left eye. Suddenly, the ceiling came crashing down. With whatever strength she had left in her, Caynna ran through the building, through a window, and down into the lake below. _

_The icy cold water washed up around her, chilling her to the bone. As her head broke the surface, she gasped for air, each inhale sending a piercing pain through her chest. Caynna made her way to the shore, the light of the blazing fire bathing everything around it in oranges and yellows. She clawed her way up on the bank, her body tired, sore, and beaten to the end._

_As the darkness began to fall about her a single silhouette appeared in her vision; a man with a long beard and a pointy, tattered hat. "You…have a…funny hat," was all she managed to say before passing out._

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Caynna jerked awake from beside her horse, the stallion turning to give her a look of "what the hell is wrong with you?" They had traveled through the day and stopped of a short rest that night. Caynna shook her head clearing the past pain that had resurfaced all about her. "We should keep going, Tilian," she said as she stood up with her horse following suit.

"Where are you going so fast, my dear?" came a voice from Caynna's past.

She turned quickly, dagger in hand and ready to fight whoever it was that just attempted – okay, _did_ – sneak up on her. "Who…Gandalf?" Caynna stopped as she saw the grey wizard with his funny pointed grey hat ride up to her on a chestnut horse. "Gandalf?!" she asked again only with surprise and glee. "Gandalf!"

"My dear, you will wear out my name before the night turns to day," he chuckled. "Caynna, it is good to see you are doing rather well."

"I would say the same for you, Gandalf," Caynna said after giving the old wizard a hug, "but I'd be mistaken. Have you gotten greyer?"

"I can assure you, my dear, that I have not become greyer," Gandalf said with mock offence.

"What are you doing in these parts so close to Bree?"

"I may ask you the same, though I knew you were here anyhow," Gandalf countered just as he always did.

"For one, you are the only person I know that has ever been able to know where I am all the time," Caynna said as she began to saddle Tilian. "Most happen upon me whereas you, my friend, merely need to use your 'wizardly powers' to find me and _poof_! You're here in front of me!"

"That is true," Gandalf said as he stroked his beard. "Actually, I meant to seek you out on purpose this time around. I have found myself in need of another person to share in an adventure."

Caynna smiled thinking this was another one of his "accompany me to the next place of civilization" adventures. "And where shall the old man need me to take him this time?" she asked with a mock bow and flourish.

However, Gandalf's smile was neither teasing nor joking. It was dead serious. "My dear, it is to none other than the Lonely Mountain."

Caynna's smile dropped off her face. "What?" she stated more than asked. "You mean you, Gandalf the Grey, the old man-wizard-person, is going to go to the Lonely Mountain _alone_?"

"No, not alone! Never alone, my dear. In fact, to answer your previous question, I am heading to the Shire to seek out a single hobbit with the name of Bilbo Baggins. I have been asked by the leader of our _company_ of thirteen dwarves to seek out a fourteenth member, and I have chosen this hobbit."

Caynna tightened Tilian's girth with a grunt. "Then why ask me to accompany you on this trip?" she asked as she began to strap on some of her daggers.

"We will need you before the end, Caynna Amarië," Gandalf said as he leaned on his staff. "Please consider my offer. I think it will do you some good to travel with some company."

"I do-"

"Tilian is a horse, not a person. He may respond to you, my dear, but honestly, it is like having a one sided conversation with a rock wall."

Tilian turned and faced the wizard, an indignant snort coming from him as he flattened his ears and looked down his nose at Gandalf, his black forelock spreading out about his forehead is a cute, colt-like way. "You hurt his pride, Gandalf," Caynna said with a smile.

Gandalf waved the horse away. "If you reconsider, which I truly hope you do, in three days' time, meet up at a house on Bag-End. There will be a mark on the green, round door. Supper will also be served."

"Supper with thirteen dwarves? Or another meal after killing a group of bandits or orcs or goblins?" Caynna said with mock indecision. "I'll be at the house in three days' time, Gandalf. If I will do this, I will do it for you, and only you. You saved my life a long time back and I said I will always come to your aid when you call me."

"My dear, saving your life that night was purely due to the fact that you needed my help and I gave it to you. Perhaps you should stop jumping out of, or off of, buildings."

"You know I can't do that!" Caynna said as she mounted Tilian's saddle. "It's just not my style!"

"So I see…"

"Where will you be heading, then?"

"To the Shire, of course. And you?"

"To Bree," Caynna said, her smile gone and her business look coming about her, "I have some unattended business to finish while there. It should only take a while."

"Until we meet again, my dear," Gandalf said as he turned his horse toward the road, "be safe."

"I will," Caynna called as she spurred Tilian into a canter through the back roads of the forest, "I always am!"

"No you're not," Gandalf muttered with a smile and a shake of his head. "Not all the time at least."


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting the Company

Chapter 2: Meeting the Company

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**Updates every ****_Monday_**

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**A/N: Well, here we go with Chapter 2. The beginning is a bit slow, so please bear with me. I kind of went blank on it, so I hope y'all don't mind it too much XD. Caynna meets the company! I am just starting to build her character up as well, so please bear with me on that.**

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** XxKicking Your AxX: **Lol, kind of! I have to develop her character more, but yes, she tends to have a better mouth XD Though, she will let one slip every now and then.

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Caynna rode up to the gate that led into the town of Bree, the morning cool and crisp without a cloud in sight. A small window opened, and the gate keeper stuck his greasy, slightly creepy face in front of it. "What's your business here, miss?" he asked in a tired, wary voice.

"To pass into Bree," Caynna replied with a smile.

"That doesn't answer the question."

"Actually, it does. You asked my business here, at this spot, and I answered. Now, if you would please let me in that would be very kind."

The gate keeper grumbled about tricky women before he opened the gate for Caynna and Tilian to pass through. Caynna gave a nod of her head as she passed the gate keeper. "Thank you, good sir. Have a nice day," she said before Tilian took off at a canter through the empty streets toward the Prancing Pony.

Lights floated out from the inn's windows, a few people milling about in the inn. Caynna dismounted from the saddle and walked into the Prancing Pony. She looked around for the single person she had business with. She found him at the bar with a mug in his hand. Caynna smiled as she made her way over to the figure. "Are you here to kill me?" the man grumbled in a slightly worn voice as he took his mug and drank. "Because if you are, might as well get it over with."

"What makes you say that?" Caynna asked as she signaled to the bar tender to bring her a mug as well. "Water, sir."

"Well, the way you come in without your hood up means either I am dead or someone else is," the man grumbled.

A glass was placed in front of Caynna who thanked the bar tender and took a few sips. "First off, you can take your dagger away from my stomach," the man flinched and moved his left hand up in plain view, a dagger in his hand.

"How'd you know?"

"Please," Caynna said as she turned to look at the man, a "really?" look on her face. "You obviously know what I am, so why try and outsmart me? Or, in your case, try and injure me? Do you think you would be able to escape easier?"

The man shrugged and looked into his mug with a sorrowful look. "I guess not," he mumbled.

"Now, time for the business part," Caynna said with a serious look as she moved her hand into her jacket under her cloak and withdrew a rolled up parchment. "This was given to me by your friend."

The man took the parchment and unraveled it. As he read it, his eyes brightened from sorrowful and hopeless to cheerful and relieved. "He…he sent you to…" the man was lost for words.

"My contract that I took up with your friend, here, has two daughters who are riding to you under the impression of seeing you about horses. I was to follow them and make sure they arrived unharmed as they passed through the woods, and then I was to give you that letter. You know what this letter is?"

"Yes…and no…"

"It is a statement that says you may go back home with your two nieces," Caynna said with a smile. "Your father died some months ago, and you have been claimed as your brother's, well brother. You do not need to continue this pathetic life."

"Thank you…for doing this," the man said with a smile. "I know rangers are not usually ones to be couriers. This means a lot."

Caynna waved him off. "Think nothing of it! Besides, I got to finish the other half of the contract as well."

"Which was what?"

"There was a group of bandits that would usually ambush Rohirrum women traveling in the woods at night. No need to go into details, but I was to eliminate them. It seems that I have. Now, I must be off-"

"Please!" the man said gently grabbing Caynna's arm. "Have a drink!"

"I cannot," Caynna said as she gave the man a reassuring smile while giving his hand a small pat. "I have other business to attend now. May you travel safe and stay well."

"Wait! What is your name?" the man asked as Caynna began to leave.

"Caynna Amarië," she replied with a small bow of her head before leaving the inn.

Tilian was dozing off when Caynna walked out of the inn. His head snapped up and he tried his best to look awake. Caynna shook her head at the horse before swinging up into the saddle. "Come, Tilian," she said as she turned the horse back the way they came, "let us go meet up with Gandalf at this hobbit hole."

The horse gave a snort at the mention of Gandalf for he was still insulted by being called a "stone wall" by the wizard. He broke into a canter as they passed out of the gate and began the ride to the Shire, not bothering with the back roads as Caynna did not need to travel them at the present moment.

* * *

Evening had set in as Caynna urged Tilian back into a canter. They were less than an hour away from the Green Dragon, and she didn't fancy fighting before she met up with this group of dwarves and a hobbit. But when rounding a bend in the road after riding that particular road without seeing another soul in sight all day does not always guarantee that the bend will be empty of other occupants. "Holy-!" Caynna gave a start as two horses, more likely _ponies_, came out of nowhere from the hidden road that joined up with the main road.

All three horses slammed on their brakes, but it wasn't enough to stop the collision of the three horses. Tilian went down and rolled off to the side left side of the road, Caynna already out of the saddle by the time the horse went down. The other two horses tripped up on each other and threw their riders off before they collapsed upon each other in a frenzy of neighs. Caynna stopped rolling, slightly out of breath. Just when she was about to get up, some extra weight fell on top of her diagonally across her back knocking the breath out of her. After a moment, she was able to lift her head slightly, and turned to try to face whoever was on her back. A head of brown hair lifted itself off the ground, and shook itself. "Whoever you are," Caynna groaned as she moved slightly, "get off my back. Like, now."

"Wha…oh! I'm sorry!" a male voice said.

_Great…just great_, Caynna thought to herself. Then another male voice started to laugh. "Kili, you just met her!" the other male said.

The weight was lifted from across her back as the person moved, and Caynna rolled over quickly. She sat up and took deep breaths to calm herself and to get her breath back. "Shut up, Fili," the guy named Kili said. A hand was thrust in Caynna's line of sight, and she took it grudgingly. "I am sorry about that. We weren't expecting people on the road."

Caynna waved him off as she held her head in her hand. "It is quite alright. Tilian and I didn't expect to see others either. We haven't seen a soul all day up until now," she said as she cleared her head with a shake before looking up at the guy in front of her.

That was when she got a good look at the two men, or dwarves, in front of her. One had blonde hair and a beard to match with a braid on either side of his mustache, and bright blue eyes. The other, no doubt his brother, had dark brown, wavy hair and a sort of shadow instead of a beard, and warm, dark brown eyes. Caynna was at least two inches taller than the blonde while the brunette was almost eye level with her, both pretty dang tall for dwarves. The brunette was standing in front of Caynna with an embarrassed look in his face. "No, really! We are terribly sorry about…that," he started and stopped as he saw the scar over Caynna's left eye.

"I'm not! I haven't seen your face turn that red in years," the blonde said as he smiled at Caynna. "Fili."

"And Kili," the brunette dwarf in front of Caynna added.

"At your service," they both said with a flourish at the same time.

"Caynna," she answered with a small bow of her head, though her eyes never left the two brothers in front of her, "at yours. I am really sorry about that."

It was Kili's turn to wave off the apology. "It's fine," he said with a bright smile. "Now to get the horses back up."

"Tilian!" Caynna said and turned to look for her grey stallion.

The horse gave a snort from the side of the road. He stood up with a shake and turned to look at Caynna. He arched his neck and pinned his ears back as he walked forward, holding himself up all high and mighty. "Your pride's hurt, isn't it?" Caynna said with a smile as the horse's head dropped in shame. "Nothing's hurt other than your pride, yes?"

The horse shook his head and looked at the two dwarves behind Caynna. He pinned his ears back and gave a snort in warning not to both brothers, but to Kili who, in the horse's eyes, posed an immediate threat to Caynna after having landed on her back. "Tilian, wait," Caynna said as she put her hand on the horse's muscular chest as he stretched his neck out toward Kili, teeth bared, "it was an accident. No one is hurt, see? Fine! Everyone's fine. I'm fine. Tilian!"

The horse shook his head but kept a watchful eye on Kili. Fili walked up to his brother and swung his arm over his shoulder. "Well, are you going to sit here and let a horse tell you off?" he joked and Kili turned slightly pink.

"Let's see how you feel after you get thrown and land on top of a lady," Kili countered as he shrugged off his brother's arm.

Caynna turned a bit pink as well at the mention of the little incident that they had just had as she retrieved her fallen bow and quiver that had somehow managed to get unattached from the back of the saddle. She reattached it and swung back into Tilian's saddle. "Well, I must be off," she started as Tilian turned to head down the road.

"Where are you heading?" Kili called after the woman as he and his brother mounted their horses.

"To the Shire, of course," Caynna replied as the two brothers drew up beside her, their ponies just two hands shorter than Tilian.

"We are as well. Do you care to join us?" Fili started.

"I will, no doubt, travel faster than you two. I do not think we are going to the same place either," Caynna said though she knew that they were, without a doubt, going to the _exact _same place.

"Oh, really? And why would you be traveling to the Shire?"

"That is my business and my business alone," Caynna said in a serious tone.

"Perhaps you would like some company?" Kili asked.

"We know what kind of company _you _want, Kili," Fili joked.

"I'm about ready to knock you off your pony, Fili."

Fili beamed at his brother and Caynna shook her head at the two brothers. "Now, I must really be off-"

"You still haven't answered my question," Kili said.

Caynna pulled Tilian to a stop and faced the two brothers, both of whom were smiling brightly at Caynna. "Look, I know I just literally ran into you two, and I'm sorry about that. But I really rather not travel with company right now. I'm about to do a lot of that," she mumbled the last part. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be off."

With that, she turned Tilian and urged the horse into a gallop down the road and onto the Shire leaving behind the brothers.

* * *

Night had fallen by the time Caynna had begun her search for this hobbit hole. She left Tilian at the Green Dragon, the horse more or less happy about it. Now, she was walking on the road up the many hills past many doors. _Green…green…green…green…still no mark…green…green…by Mahal, how many green doors are there?! _Caynna thought to herself as she past a green door for the umpteenth time. None of the doors had a mark on it. Just as she was turning back the way she came for her fourth time, she spotted the mark. It was glowing slightly in the dark of night, and seemed to beckon to her. _Found it, _she thought with a triumphant smile.

She moved through the white washed, small fence and up to the door. She paused to listen to see if she could hear any sounds from behind the door, and caught the sound of many pounding feet in the house, thirteen to be exact. She brought her hand up to knock, and then drew back. _Should I knock? Ring the doorbell? Sneak inside and scare the living daylights out of this impossible to find hobbit and his guests?_ she contemplated with herself. But then, she resolved that the time to hide in the shadows was quite possible not the best idea at the moment if there were others in the house.

With a sigh, she rang the doorbell and waited, unsure whether or not she would be let into the house. Her doubts were washed away as the round door opened and a short man with large, hairy feet stood in front of her. "There are far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is! What do you want?" he asked with uncertainty and agitation.

Caynna moved her hood back a bit, her smiling face and twinkling, dark storm grey eyes meeting the hobbit's surprised ones. "I am Caynna," she said with a bow of her head,

"Bilbo Baggins," he said as he took in what he could see of Caynna's face, including the scar.

"May I come in?"

"Uh…no…" the hobbit said, and he regained his previous agitation. "As I said before, there are far too many dwarves in my dining room!"

"Mister Baggins," Caynna said with a sigh, "I will not do you any harm if that is what you think."

"N-no! That was _not _what I was thinking!" Bilbo said stubbornly. "At all! Too man-"

"Dwarves, I know. Now, not to be blunt, but one more dwarf, or _half _dwarf so to speak, won't hurt you," Caynna said as she pulled her hood off her head and stepped inside despite the upset hobbit as he shut the door behind her. "Wow…"

She was taken aback by the lovely dark wood of the house, the arched entryways, the cleanliness of the place, and the smell of wonderful food. It had been a good long while since Caynna had been in such a wonderful, home-like place. She stood their dumbstruck for a moment as she took in the house. "Are…are you alright?" Bilbo asked as his unexpected guest stood rooted to the spot.

"It's just…you have such a _lovely _home," Caynna said as she tore herself out of her memories and turned to the hobbit. "It has been a long time since I entered a house with such a home-like feeling."

"Thank you," Bilbo beamed at the woman. "That means a lot. Everything in here has been passed down from generation to generation in my family. I take great pride in this home of mine."

"I can see that," she answered.

"Caynna, my dear," the voice of Gandalf said as Caynna turned to the wizard, "thank you for joining us.

"I always keep my word, Gandalf," she responded with a smile as she removed her cloak and then her untied jacket.

Bilbo's eyes widened in fright at the sight of the weapons the woman carried. "You're prepared," he mumbled as he took Caynna's cloak and jacket and placed them on a wooden chest with cloaks in them.

"I trust you traveled well?" Gandalf started as he and Caynna made their way closer to the commotion by the pantry.

"I lost my way about four times," she replied.

"An assassin who couldn't even find a hobbit hole? That is unheard of!"

"Your directions to find a 'green, round door' basically referenced the whole of Hobbiton," Caynna countered.

"Well, I guess I should have been more specific, but you did find it! That is what matters."

A familiar face that Caynna had just met an hour ago walked past the doorway as he headed to a barrel of ale. He stopped in his tracks, bright blue eyes beaming at Caynna in shock and confusion. "Caynna?" Fili asked just as his brother walked in behind him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here on behalf of a request from Gandalf," she answered.

"That was what your 'business' was?"

"You could have ridden with us!" added Kili.

Caynna shrugged again. "Doesn't matter. One can't be too careful, you know," she said.

The brothers exchanged a look before they picked up the barrel of ale and began to move it to another room. "Uh…Fili, Kili," Gandalf started the head count, "Oin, Gloin, Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, Ori!"

Ori, the youngest looking dwarf, let go of a basket of tomatoes he was trying to wrestle out of Bilbo's grip. _Fili, Kili, and Ori I got, _Caynna thought as she looked at the dwarves, _but what in Mahal's name were the others again?_

"Excuse me, miss," Ori said to Caynna, "but I don't think we have met. I'm Ori."

"Caynna," she replied as she looked at the other dwarves.

"Miss Caynna, how did you get that?"

"Get wha…oh, the scar?"

"Yes," Ori confirmed with a nod.

"Battle scar," Caynna said in a short tone.

"Ori, come help us, laddie!" someone yelled.

"Coming, Dori!" Ori answered before giving Caynna a smile and leaving.

_Ori, Dori, Kili, and Fili, _Caynna thought and then the rest of the names hit her. _Dwalin, Balin, Gloin, Oin, Bombur, Bifur, Bofur, and Nori. Those are the names, but who belongs to who?_

"You look confused," Kili said from behind Caynna.

"Names…so many names," Caynna replied as she rubbed her temple with her pointer fingers. "Who is who?"

"You already met Ori," Fili piped up.

"That is his brother, Dori, next to him," added Kili as he pointed at a dwarf with some interesting braided grey hair.

"That's Nori, Dori and Ori's brother," Fili said as he pointed to the auburn haired dwarf next to Ori.

"That is Balin," Kili pointed to a white haired and bearded dwarf.

"This is-" Fili started.

"Dwalin, at your service," a burly, tattooed dwarf with a bald head said as he gave Caynna a small bow. "You must be Caynna."

"How'd you know?" Caynna asked in suspicion as her hand rested on her large dagger out of instinct.

"These two told me of your interesting meeting."

"Oh…" was all Caynna said though her hand never left her dagger.

"That is Gloin," Kili continued as he pointed to a red haired and bearded dwarf.

"And his brother Oin," Fili added. "He's got the ear trumpet."

"Bofur has the funny hat."

"Bifur has the axe in his head."

"Wait, what?" Caynna asked as they turned to a dwarf that indeed had an axe in his head. "He's…got an axe…in his head," she mumbled in shock. "That's…interesting."

"And that, lassie," Dwalin pointed to the overly fat, red haired dwarf carrying three cheese blocks, "is Bombur."

"Did you get them all?" Fili asked.

"Or did we lose you?" added Kili.

"Ori, Nori, Dori," Caynna said as she pointed out each dwarf. "Bifur, with the axe in his head, Bofur, the one with the funny hat, and the fat dwarf Bombur. Oin has the ear trumpet and Gloin is the red haired dwarf. That's Balin, you're Dwalin," Caynna said to the tattooed dwarf next to her, "and I believe you are Kili," she pointed to _Fili_, "and you are Fili," she pointed to Kili.

The two looked offended. "I'm-" Kili started and Caynna waved him off.

"I'm just messing with you two," she said. "You're Kili and you're Fili," she pointed to the right brother at each name.

"Well, you have a good memory," Dwalin said with a smile as he took a sip of his mug of ale. "Though, if I may ask, what race are you?"

"I'm sorry, but do I look _odd _to you?" Caynna asked in mock offence.

"Just a little bit," Fili said with a nod.

"Half man, half dwarf."

"Ah…that'd explain it," Kili said with a pleased nod.

"Explain what?"

"Why you are taller than most dwarves, but smaller than a human."

"Slightly broad and muscular," added Fili.

"Yet more feminine looking than a regular dwarf woman," Dwalin put in.

"And you don't have a beard," Kili finished.

"I can live without the beard," Caynna said. "Do you all have a one tract mind here?"

"No," the three said.

"Are you four going to stand around all day or are you going to come eat?" Bofur said as he passed them.

Dwalin gave a nod and turned to the dining room that had a table heaped with food. "You can sit with us," Kili said with a smile.

_Does he ever stop smiling like a puppy? _Caynna thought as she looked at the handsome dwarf in front of her. _Or is that just his face? _

"Kili just wants you all to himself like back on the road," Fili joked and got elbowed in the stomach by his brother.

"That was an accident," Kili said with a glare.

Fili raised an eyebrow and Caynna was tempted to elbow the blonde dwarf herself. "We are never going to live that down, are we?" she grumbled.

"Nope!" Fili said with a light hearted tone before he stepped in between the two and threw an arm over each of their shoulders making Caynna tense up as her hand flew to her dagger. Fili noticed and gave her a look. "Relax! You're really jumpy."

"I don't take well to people," Caynna started and slipped Fili's arm off her shoulder, "touching me. Especially ones that I don't really know."

"I doubt you can even handle those weapons on you," Fili said with a smirk.

"Would you like to find out?" Caynna said in a dangerous voice.

"Are we going to eat or not?" Kili asked the two.

Fili was taking in Caynna's appearance with curious eyes. She looked like she knew how to use the blades that she had, but she was a _female_. Surely she couldn't, right? "I guess we will have to find out later," Fili said in a lighthearted, but serious, tone. "For now, food sounds nice."

Fili turned to the table and towed his brother with him. "Caynna, my dear," Gandalf said and motioned to the chair next to him, "come sit."

Caynna gave a sigh before moving to the chair. "I've met the entire company now," she said as she filled her plate with some ham, a biscuit, and some turkey.

"Well, not entirely," Gandalf said as he grabbed a biscuit.

"Are we missing one?"

"Yes. We will be here later. Water like usual?"

"Thanks," Caynna said as she took her glass that Gandalf had already had filled for her. "This should be an interesting trip."

"That is, if we can get the leader of our company to let you come."

"You haven't spoken with him?"

"I have…sort of," Gandalf said with a sly smile as Caynna was finishing her ham and moving to her turkey.

"How do you think he will respond to me?"

"We will have to see, my dear," Gandalf said as he snagged some ham before it was passed on. "We will have to see."

"Why don't I like the sound of that?"


	3. Chapter 3: Supper is Served

Chapter 3: Supper is Served

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**Updates every ****_Monday_**

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**A/N: So...as much as I love posting stories..._I hate waiting to post them! _It has been killing me! Though, I have made several _f'ing thousands _of edits and changes to the original Chapter 3, 4, and 5 (which, by the way, have been _so _revamped that the old content is almost nonexistent in the new). I really, and I mean _really, _like the way this chapter turned out. I swear, Thorin is such a _hard _character to write sometimes! *pulls out sword and threatens Thorin* Y U SO DIFFICULT TO WRITE?!**

***Clears throat* Anyway, I wanted to take a different route with Thorin's reaction to Caynna. I mean, with almost every fan fiction he either hates, dislikes, thinks lowly of, cares too much for, is overprotective of, or in love with every other female character. Why not be intrigued yet confused by one and not hate her at the same time (or be falling for her...bleh..._not _Caynna...just sayin').**

**Enough of my rambling! Let's get to the actual story now...oh, and another useless piece of information: this chapter is 16 pages in Word...**

**End rambling!**

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** Littleflower19: **I am glad that you enjoyed _Scarlet Eyes _and have taken the time to read this. I will be continuing this story as well as the rest of the _Scarlet Eyes Trilogy_, but I will now be updating on **Mondays**. This way I can make it, hopefully, all the way to when _The Desolation of Smaug _comes out on DVD. I will, most likely, update the third book in the _SE Trilogy _after I finish this one. That way, I can prepare everyone for the next part of the _Eärlindë. _Thank you so much for reading my works, and I hope you enjoy this one as much as the others :)

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"Who wants an ale? There you go!" Fili said as he walked across the table handing mugs of ale out to dwarves.

"Over here, brother!" Kili said and took an ale before smacking the back of his brother's leg. "Now get off the table!"

The dwarves laughed loudly as they talked and shared jokes. Fili jumped off the table, not a single bit of food on his boots surprisingly. Once every one had a mug of ale, with the exception of Gandalf and Caynna, they cheered each other loudly. "Ale on the count of three," Bofur said. "One! Two!"

"Up!" Kili yelled out.

The room went silent as the dwarves drank up their mugs. Some spilled the ale onto their beards, intent on drinking as much as fast as they could while others, who clearly had some kind of manners or didn't want to lose a bit of their ale such as Kili, Fili, Balin, and Ori, drank their ale without spilling a drop. Mugs were placed back on the table and a burping contest ensued. Little Ori let out the biggest, loudest, and longest belch of the lot, and the dwarves cheered him as they all joined in on a laugh. "I knew you had it in you!" Nori yelled out to Ori.

"Caynna, lassie, did you want an ale?" Dwalin asked Caynna.

"No thank you," Caynna said as she leaned back in her chair slightly. "I don't drink."

"You don't drink, lass? I've never heard of someone not drinking."

"No, I don't," she said in a tone that clearly meant she did not want to indulge further into her reason behind not drinking. "Excuse me," she said more to Gandalf than anyone else around her.

She stood up silently and left, her absence going unnoticed by the dwarves. She moved throughout the house, taking in the living room, foyer, kitchen, and all the other rooms in the house. The architecture astonished Caynna with the home being underground and all. The rounded entryways really gave the place an interesting feeling. She rounded another corner to the study, too busy looking at the windows to notice the dwarf walking toward her who happened to also be busy looking at the study to not have noticed the lass. They ran right into each other, both stumbling slight before falling on the ground. Out of instinct, Caynna rolled and popped up onto one knee with her dagger at the ready, poised to attack. She lowered it with a sigh as Kili sat up on the ground, hand on his head. "That's twice now in one day that we ran into each other," he said as he looked at Caynna, a confused frown appearing on his face. "Why do you have your dagger out?"

Caynna took in a deep breath and let it out to calm her racing heart as she stood and sheathed the blade. "I'm sorry. It is a habit of mine," she replied as she held a hand out to Kili. "Most of the time when I get knocked over it is not on accident but rather someone is trying to kill me."

"Understandable," Kili said as he took the outstretched hand and was hoisted to his feet.

Caynna dropped her hand quickly and looked out the window. "Sorry about that," she said as she moved to the window above the desk and placed her hands on it. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Neither was I so we're even," he said as he moved up next to Caynna to peer out the window with a slightly confused face as he looked from the window to the interested look on Caynna's face. "What's so interesting about a window?"

"The view," Caynna said and Kili caught a hint of longing in her voice, but in the next second it was gone. "It is a really nice view. If you'll excuse me…"

She suddenly turned and began to walk away, her feet quiet on the wood floor as she did so. Kili watched the lass turn the corner again, her hand brushing her dagger. "She's odd," a voice behind the brunette dwarf said.

Kili turned to Dwalin, the tattooed dwarf looking at the spot the lass had just disappeared. "She is a half-breed," Kili said.

"I meant the way she walks around. Dwarves, or even those who are _half _dwarf, are never that quiet. She's almost as silent as an elf. It's as if she's used to walking around without anyone noticing she's there," Dwalin explained. "And then there is that habit of hers where she always touches her dagger when she rounds each corner like she's waiting for something, or some_one_, to attack her."

"Earlier, she nearly drew her dagger on Fili when he put an arm around her shoulders as we headed to the table," Kili said as he remembered Caynna's reaction to Fili. He was sure Caynna was going to stab his poor brother.

"Aye," Dwalin gave a nod, "she's unsettling."

"Don't tell me that big, bad Dwalin is afraid of a half-breed woman?" joked Kili.

"I'm not afraid of her. I'm…apprehensive. The way she moves about the house is too odd and out of place for my liking."

"Is just because she doesn't wear a dress but instead has weapons and traveling clothes?"

"That can be added to the long list," Dwalin said as he turned and walked back toward the dining room.

As Caynna rounded another corner, this time watching where she was going, she caught sight of Gandalf talking to a frustrated Bilbo. "I just don't understand what they are doing in my house!" he said angrily with a sigh as he placed his hands on his hips much like an angry woman.

Just then, Ori walked up to Bilbo with his plate in his hand. "Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt, but what should I do with my plate?" he asked innocently.

Just as Bilbo was about to give a reply, Fili walked right up to the other dwarf. "Here you go, Ori. Give it to me," he said before taking it and tossing it to Kili who happened to walk out of the kitchen at that moment with this pipe in his left hand.

Gandalf dove out of the way as did Bilbo who looked like he was about to have a heart attack as Fili tossed another plate to Kili who caught it with a flourish. Kili then tossed the second plate to Bifur who was at the sink. The dwarf with the axe in his head – which Caynna didn't think she would ever get over – caught the two plates in each hand without so much as looking up to catch them, and placed them together before setting them in the sink. _They planned this, didn't they?_ Caynna thought to herself.

"Take that back!" Bilbo shouted as the dishes kept flying.

"Why don't you try this, Caynna?" Kili asked as he tossed a bowl to Bifur.

"Excuse me!" Bilbo shouted again in frustration.

_Oh, by Mahal, Mister Baggins is going to have a heart attack_, Caynna thought as she walked up to Bilbo's opposite side before turning back to Kili. "I do not think that'd be a wise decision," she told Kili.

"She's just scared that we'll out do her, brother," Fili smirked as he tossed a cup to Kili with a flick of his wrist.

"Really now?" Caynna asked as her interested peaked.

"That's my mother's West Farthing pottery. It's over a hundred years old!" Bilbo shouted in panic as Kili kicked up a bowl with his foot, caught it, and tossed it on while Ori watched the two brothers with an impressed look on his face.

"Alright then. Here, catch!" Fili said as he tossed a plate in the opposite direction.

Caynna dove away from Bilbo's side as the plate went over their heads. She rolled on the ground with a hushed thump before she popped up on one knee facing away from the dwarves and caught the plate in between her pointer and middle finger. She stood up with a turn and a step toward the dwarves without missing a beat before she tossed the plate to Kili who caught it and passed it on. Fili gave her an impressed look while Bilbo gave a sigh relief as his plate didn't break on the ground. "She just outdid you, Fili," Kili called to his brother as he caught a bowl and passed it on with a flourish.

"A-and c-can you not do that? You'll blunt them!" Bilbo said in an angry, flustered voice as the dwarves in the dining room began a beat with their forks, knives, and feet.

"Ooh! Did you hear that lads?" Bofur said as they continued on, his eyes giving the dwarves around him a knowing look. "He says we we'll _blunt the knives_!"

_"Blunt the knives, bend the forks," _Kili started to sing as he beckoned to his brother to send on the dishes.

_"Smash the bottles and burn the corks," _Fili joined in with the second line as he popped a cup up in the air with his left elbow to arc it over to his right before he caught it and tossed it to Kili.

_"Chip the glasses and crack the plates," _the other dwarves started as they joined in together.

_"That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!"_

"_Cut the cloth, tread on the fat!_" the dwarves sang as they tossed bowls and cups to Ori who caught them all in his hands in a neat stack, his eyes growing wide at the large amount of dishes in his hands as he turned to make his way slowly into the kitchen.

_"Leave the bones on the bedroom mat!"_

Dwalin bounced cups off his head and over to Nori, the auburn haired dwarf using his foot, head, or elbow to gently pass each cup over to the next dwarf.

_"Pour the milk on the pantry floor!"_

Kili jumped up and wedged himself in between the door frame to the kitchen. He turned to Caynna who raised her eyebrows at him, and in turn Kili gave her a bright smile and motioned for her to toss him the plate she just caught. Caynna tossed him the plate to which he caught and tossed away, the plate arching to the ground. Fili dove into a roll, popped up onto his knee and caught the plate right at his head, and then passed the plate on as Kili jumped down from his odd perch in the door frame.

_"Splash the wine on every door!"_

Bilbo watched with his mouth hanging open in horror as Ori passed him with the stack of dishes perched precariously in his arms.

_"Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl!"_

They continued to sing as they rolled the dishes along the table and tossed cups and bowls over to each other before sending them down the line to the kitchen. Bombur was cleaning off any plate that stopped by him, the fat dwarf really enjoying getting any leftover food from the plates.

_"Pound them up with a thumping pole!" _the dwarves sang on. Caynna flipped a plate over her head to Fili who caught it and passed it on.

_"When you're finished, if they are whole!"_

Kili threw a knife to Bifur who turned and caught it just before it impaled his face. "I wonder if that would stick in his head just like the axe," Caynna said to Fili.

"Probably," Fili smiled at her as he bounced a bowl off his elbow over to Caynna who caught it and tossed it on down the line.

_"Send them down the hall to roll!"_

Old Balin sat at the head of the table with a plate in his hand, bouncing the dishes that were rolled down to him with the plate. Fili caught the flying dishes and passed them on to Kili and Nori, both who would then pass them on to whoever was in the kitchen. Bofur had a flute or some kind of instrument of the like and was playing it while Oin had turned a teapot into an instrument as well. Dori stood beside Oin and passed dishes along, Bofur occasionally bumping a bowl or cup along with his elbow without so much as missing a beat of the song as he did so. Caynna turned and nearly ran into Kili as he reached out and caught a plate before it hit the back of Caynna's head. He held the plate up with a smirk. "You might want to watch where you are going," he said before flipping the plate over his head.

Caynna stood there frozen to the spot with an impassive expression on her face. "I'll try to not make it a habit," she said with a small smile before moving away to the opposite side of the room leaving a goofy smiling dwarf prince behind her as he passed on the last plate, wondering if he made the lass feel out of place even though she had a calm look about her.

The dwarves finished cleaning up and stacked the dishes nicely on the kitchen table as Fili, Nori, and Ori grabbed another ale.

_"That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!" _they ended as Bilbo raced in with a horrified look on his face, expecting to see broken and shattered dishes everywhere in the kitchen.

The dwarves laughed at his shocked and clearly relieved face as he saw the pile of dishes cleaned and stacked neatly in front of him. Kili looked like he was about to die from laughing so hard, and Caynna wondered if he had a _little _too much to drink as well, though she _highly_ doubted it. He pointed to Bilbo with his pipe. "Look at his fa…." He trailed off in another fit of laughter along with the other dwarves.

Caynna smiled and gave a small chuckle at the hobbit's expression. "We got him good," Dori said as he laughed.

_Almost a little too good by the look of his face when he raced in,_ Caynna thought as she looked toward the hobbit who had joined in with the laughing. _At least Mister Baggins has a sense of humor._

A sudden pounding on the door silenced the dwarves, and Caynna immediately unlatched the dagger under her right gauntlet. Dwalin noticed the movement as did a few others. They exchanged a look as Gandalf said, "He is here."

Caynna walked behind the dwarves with her dagger still unlatched from the gauntlet not out and poised to attack, but rather the blade was placed against the underside of her forearm. She stood behind Kili and Fili, blending in with the other dwarves slightly. "Put it away, lass," Bofur said quietly next to Caynna. "He won't take well to you if you look ready to attack him."

Caynna let out a breath she did not know she was holding, and the two brothers in front of her turned to give her a look. "Oh, sorry," she said quietly when she realized she was still holding the dagger, and promptly reattached the blade to her underside of her gauntlet.

"Let me guess," Fili said.

"Habit," the two brothers chorus.

"Actually, that was reflex," Caynna said.

The brothers exchanged a look before they turned back to the opening door. "Gandalf," the dwarf said as he entered.

Caynna knew right away that this particular dwarf was one that held everyone's respect. He carried himself like a leader, and he looked the part as well. He was taller than most of the dwarves in the room, most likely an inch taller than Caynna, and had a "cleaner" look about him with his black, somewhat grey streaked wavy hair and neatly trimmed black beard. He was definitely another handsome looking dwarf. "I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. I wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door," the dwarf said as Gandalf shut the door.

He looked at Kili and Fili and gave them a small smile, the two brothers returning it with a nod. "Mark? There is no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago," Bilbo said in annoyance at another dwarf in his house.

"There is a mark. I put it there myself," Gandalf told the hobbit as the new dwarf took off his cloak. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."

Kili moved up toward Thorin and took the dwarf's cloak before returning beside his brother. "So this is the hobbit?" Thorin said in a tone that suggested he wasn't at all pleased with the way Bilbo looked as he began to circle the hobbit like a vulture. "Tell me, Mister Baggins, have you done much fighting?"

"Pardon me?" Bilbo asked in shock.

_By now it should have been obvious that Mister Baggins has never touched a blade other than the knives in his kitchen, _Caynna thought as her eyes turned to the hobbit and examined his posture.

"Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?" Thorin continued as he examined the hobbit as well.

"Well, I do have some skill at conkers, if you must know," Bilbo said as he tried to stand up taller as he looked the tall, regal dwarf up and down. "But I fail to see why that is relevant."

"Thought as much," Thorin replied as he stopped in front of the hobbit and crossed his arms over his chest. "He looks more like a grocer than a burglar," he said with a small smile as the other dwarves chuckled.

"Thorin, there is one other person I would like you to meet," Gandalf said as he caught sight of Caynna.

Kili and Fili turned to Caynna, both wearing a nervous look as they moved out of the lass's way. Caynna stood tall and proud as she walked away from the two princes, her steps calm and confident as she approached the dwarf. Thorin sized her up and went to circle her much like he did with Bilbo, but stopped as she rested her hand gently on her dagger, a move that showed she was not too comfortable with him doing so. "Caynna," she said with a small bow though her eyes never left Thorin's to which the dwarf narrowed his eyes in an intrigued look, "at your service."

They both looked at each other, neither averting their eyes. "And what are you exactly?" he asked after much confliction in his thoughts as he took in Caynna's appearance.

"Half man, half dwarf."

"I didn't mean that," Thorin said.

"Caynna, here, is both a ranger and a trained assassin," Gandalf put in, and Caynna turned her head sharply to Gandalf, her face impassive but her eyes showing a shocked look.

Some of the older dwarves, now very wary of the ranger-assassin in front of them, gave her a glare each. "I knew something was off about you," Dwalin said as he drew himself up to try and look more menacing.

"I don't know if that was a compliment or an insult," Caynna said as she turned to Dwalin. "But I'll take it as a compliment anyhow."

"She is here on behalf of my request," Gandalf put in.

"You could have left the 'assassin' part out," Caynna muttered with slight annoyance.

"The truth is better said than not said at all."

"Don't start lecturing me, Gandalf," Caynna said before she turned to Thorin who was watching the lass with general curiosity. "If you would like," she started in reluctance, but continued anyway in the same calm manner, "I'll remove my weapons if that would set everyone here at ease."

Thorin raised an eyebrow at the lass. "I believe you, Gandalf," he said to the wizard as they exchanged a smiling look. "She's an honorable assassin."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Caynna asked in confusion.

Instead of answering her, Thorin gave Caynna one last look before he followed the other dwarves to the dining room. Gandalf gave a sigh as Bilbo went to grab Thorin something to eat. "That went better than expected," he said to Caynna as the dwarves sat themselves at the table.

"When you said you had 'sort of' talked to the leader of this company," Caynna started.

"I merely meant that I explained who and what you are and why you are coming along with us if you so choose to," Gandalf said. "Thorin was just seeing if you would tell him what you were, which was obvious that you weren't about to do so."

"So you actually talked to him."

"Yes."

"You couldn't have told me that in the first place?"

"I wanted you to be on your best behavior."

Caynna raised an eyebrow. "Most others would have already gone defensive against such accusations that many here have made with their actions. I, clearly, have not. I am always on my best behavior anyway."

"That is what he meant by an 'honorable assassin'," Gandalf explained. "You are one of the few that actually keep calm and levelheaded, and then _offer _to remove your weapons to help ease the situation."

Caynna shrugged. "Courtesy is a virtue, you know," she said as they went to join the rest of the company.

Caynna gave Gandalf one last look before she made her way to the end of the table and to the back wall. She leaned against the wall behind Kili and Fili, Thorin's intrigued look not leaving her for a few moments. Bilbo gave the dwarf a bowl filled with some kind of soup and a mug of ale. "What news from the meeting of Erad-Luin? Did they all come?" Balin started after a few moments.

"Aye, envoys from all seven kingdoms," Thorin answered though the look on his face said he was not quite pleased with the outcome of the meeting.

"All of them!"

"What did the dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?" Dwalin asked with an enthusiastic look.

"They will not come," Thorin answered in a grim, angered tone. "They say this quest is ours and ours alone."

"You're going on a quest?" Bilbo asked in shock.

"What did he think we were doing?" Kili mumbled to his brother.

"Just coming for dinner apparently," answered Fili.

_Good observation, boys, _Caynna thought, though, she was thinking the same thing.

"Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light," Gandalf said as he pulled out a map and placed it on the table. "Far to the east, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single, solitary peak."

"The Lonely Mountain," Bilbo read the map title.

"Aye, Oin has read the portents and the portents say it is time," Gloin spoke causing the other dwarves to grumble and roll their eyes with a sigh.

_That was all Oin had been talking about after dinner._

"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain, as it was foretold," Oin confirmed with a nod. "When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end."

"Uh, what beast?" a fearful hobbit asked.

_By the gods, _Caynna thought as she resisted face-palming her face. _This hobbit…did he just _miss _the picture of the dragon flying directly _next _to the mountain?_

"That would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, the chiefest and greatest calamity of our age," Bofur answered with a slight drop in his voice as he held his pipe. "Air-borne fire breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks. Extremely fond of precious metal."

"Yes, I know what a dragon is," came the quick and fearful answer.

Thorin looked at the assassin in the corner, the shadows seeming to wrap themselves around her as if trying to protect her from prying eyes, yet she was still very much visible. Caynna's face was impassive as she listened to the conversation, not even her eyes gave away what she thought. She just stood there and listened. "I'm not afraid of it! I'm up for it! I'll give him a taste of Dwarfish iron right up his jacksie!" Ori said with confidence.

_Oh, Mahal, _Caynna thought to herself, _he'll probably be fried before he tries _that_._

"Good lad, Ori!" Nori called out to his brother.

_Don't encourage him to get himself killed!_

"Sit down," Dori said as he pulled his younger brother back into his seat with a pat.

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us," Balin said. "But we number just thirteen. Not thirteen of the best, nor brightest."

Caynna's eyes roamed over the angry muttering dwarves. She looked at each one, picking up on the characteristics of each. Balin, Dwalin, Oin, Gloin, and Thorin had seen battle before. As her eyes continued down the line of dwarves, she spotted Bifur. He had _definitely _seen battle if he had an _axe in his head_, to which Caynna still inwardly shuddered. His brother, Bofur, might have been in a skirmish or two, but he didn't seem like the type that had gone to battle before. Their fat brother Bombur no doubt had _not _seen battle as he was overly large and needed help getting up from the ground when he fell over.

The assassin's eyes moved over the Ri brothers, and caught sight of Nori slipping something from his older brother's pocket into his own. Nori was more of a thief, Dori may have seen battle (Caynna was stretching the _may _part), and then there was little Ori. He most likely had never seen battle, and by the way he was dressed and the note pad he carried around along with his sketch pad, he was more likely the company's scribe, but came along the journey because his brothers were coming.

Then Caynna's eyes found Kili and Fili. The two had training, no doubt about that from the way they had carried their weapons and checked them back when Caynna ran into them. They held themselves just like Thorin, all warrior and leader (sort of), though they didn't have a burden on their shoulders the way their uncle did. They were both confident in the way they walked and what they did, even though Caynna found herself often questioning their one-tracked minds. As she continued to take in each dwarf's appearance, she caught herself looking at the two princes longer than she would have liked. She quickly turned her gaze away only to have it turn back to Fili as he slammed his fist on the table.

"We may be few in number, but we're fighters. All of us," he said as he slammed his hand on the table again to emphasize his statement, "to the last dwarf!"

"And do you forget that we have a _wizard_ in our company," Kili joined in enthusiastically with a bright smile as he turned to Gandalf now. "Gandalf would have killed _hundreds_ of dragons in his time."

"Well, no I-I wouldn't say-" Gandalf started.

_Uh-oh…here we go… _Caynna thought as the wizard looked a bit flustered.

"Well, how many then?" Dori asked.

"What?"

"How many dragons have you killed?"

Gandalf started to choke on the smoke of his pipe. "Go on, give us a number!" Dori yelled out.

Thorin was still watching Caynna who had barely moved from her spot against the wall. She just…observed. She didn't even voice an opinion, and it was starting to unnerve Thorin a bit. The dwarves entered an uproar about the number of dragons Gandalf probably killed.

_What are they arguing about? The number of dragons Gandalf _didn't _kill? _Caynna thought as she tried to discern what they were saying, but it was so jumbled that it was hard to figure out what they were saying at all. That was when she realized that not all of them were speaking in the common tongue.

Thorin suddenly stood and yelled out in dwarvish, and the dwarves immediately shut up and sat back down. "If we have read these signs do you not think others will have read them too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon, Smaug, has not been seen for sixty years. Eyes look east to the mountain assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance and take back Erebor?" he said to the dwarves and received an uproar of enthusiastic shouts.

_These dwarves really respect him_, Caynna thought.

But then, Balin spoke up. "You forget, the Front Gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain," he said.

_There is always a way in. Whether it is an easy route or hard, you can never be locked out of a single place. I would know. I bet my_ life _that none of these dwarves have ever tried to break into the steward's hidden cellar. That was not a fun experience, nor is it something I _ever _want to try again._

"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true," Gandalf said as he pulled out a key from his robes and held it up for all to see.

_I knew he had something up his sleeve._

"How came you by this?" Thorin asked.

"It was given to me by your father. By Thrain. For safekeeping. It is yours now," Gandalf said as he handed the key over to Thorin who took it.

"If there is a key, there must be a door," Fili said.

_Um…didn't we just establish this?_

"These runes speak of a hidden passage to the Lower Halls," Gandalf continued as he pointed to a spot on the map.

"There's another way in," Kili said in an excited voice.

_Great job using your head, you two, _thought Caynna. _Real intelligent conversation right there._

"Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed," Gandalf said.

_Well, that just made this a whole lot harder. Wait...why _are _dwarf doors invisible when closed? That makes no sense…at all…_

"The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map but I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle Earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth and no small amount of courage. But, if we are careful and clever then I believe it can be done," Gandalf continued.

"That's why we need a burglar!" said Ori as he looked to Bilbo.

_Something I think you already have,_ Caynna thought as she turned her eyes to Nori before back to Bilbo as he began to speak.

"Hm. A good one too. An expert, I imagine," Bilbo said as he looked at the map.

"And are you?" asked Gloin.

"Am I what?" Bilbo asked as he looked back up from the map in complete confusion.

"He said he's an expert! Hey!" Oin said.

_Um…no he didn't. You need a new ear trumpet, _Caynna thought as her eyes shifted to the grey haired dwarf with the ear trumpet.

"Me? No. No, no, no," Bilbo began to object. "I'm not a burglar. I've never stolen a thing in my life!"

_That was obvious._

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with Mister Baggins. He's hardly burglar material," Balin pointed out to the others.

"Aye. The Wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves," Dwalin added.

"He's just fine," said Fili with a wave of his hand.

Thorin was looking for Caynna's reaction once more, and found that she still had the same impassive face and calm look about her as before while she observed and listened to the dwarves begin another argument, Gandalf growing increasingly angry. "Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, than a burglar he is!" Gandalf roared angrily as he stood up, the lights growing dark only to lighten again. "Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet, and in fact, they can go unseen by most if they choose too. And while the dragon is accustomed to the scent of dwarf, the scent of a hobbit is all but unknown to him which gives us a distinct advantage."

_Interesting fact. But I still do not think a dragon will take kindly to someone going within his lair. They are, after all, protective of their treasures, _Caynna thought, _which is part of the reason why the front door is sealed shut._

"You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company and I have chosen Mister Baggins," Gandalf continued. "There is a lot more to him than appearance suggests. He's got a lot more to offer than any of you know. Including himself. You must trust me on this."

"Very well. We'll do it your way," Thorin said as he looked at Caynna for any sign of her speaking up, but was greeted with calm silence from the lass. "Give him the contract."

Bilbo began to object as Balin stood up and pulled out a contract. "It's just a summary of our out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth," Balin said as he handed Thorin the contract who shoved it roughly into the hobbit's hands behind him.

"Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo asked uncertainly as he took the contract.

_He won't like what else is in that contract for sure._

He turned and began to read it quietly to himself as Thorin stood up and moved over to Gandalf and bent to speak to the wizard quietly. As he sat back down, he looked at Caynna and was slightly annoyed that she was still silent and impassive. "Incineration?" Bilbo asked in fear and shock.

_Mister Baggins, it is a dragon we are going up against._

"Aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in a blink of an eye," Bofur said encouragingly.

_Yeah…that's not going to help his cause, _Caynna thought as she watched the hobbit pale a bit more.

"You alright, laddie?" Balin asked as Bilbo gave a small whimper.

"Huh? Yeah," came the weak response from the hobbit as he bent over and exhaled air quickly through his mouth. "Feel a bit faint."

"Think furnace, with wings," Bofur continued as he stood a bit.

_Stop talking now, Bofur._

"Air," Bilbo replied. "I-I need air."

"Flash of light, searing pain, then _poof!_ You're nothin' more than a pile of ash!"

_…he's going to faint…_

"Hmm," Bilbo said as he stood up and looked like he was going to be alright. "Nope," he said before he fainted and fell to the ground with a thump.

_Called it._

Thorin shook his head in dismay before he looked at Caynna. "What do you think about all this?" he asked her.

Caynna raised her eyebrows. "I'm sorry, were you talking to me?" she asked.

"Yes," Thorin answered as he leaned forward a bit.

Caynna moved away from the shadows and leaned her hands on the table. "Whether you take an army or this company, it will not make a difference. A dragon is a dragon, and you will fight it one way or the other. You have the first step to taking back your home; a way into the mountain. The next step is to figure out Smaug's weaknesses," Caynna said with a sly smile. "If you know your enemy's weakness, you can find defeating them easier. After that, it is only a matter of how, when, and where you take him out. But, sending a hobbit in to _kill _the dragon should not be an option. The way he just went down at the mention of being incinerated shows that he will have a hard time going up against a dragon. But, I believe you already knew that."

Gandalf gave Caynna an approving nod. "And this is why I brought you here," he said.

"It was an extremely hard going adventure, Gandalf," she smiled in amusement. "If this was all you needed of me, then I shall be going-"

"I didn't mean it that way," Gandalf said as Caynna stood up from her leaning.

"I know. But," Caynna's eyes darted to Thorin, who was still watching her with curiosity, and back to Gandalf, "some may not want me here."

"We do," Fili said as he threw an arm over his brother's shoulders. "Besides, Kili would miss running into you."

"Ha, ha," Kili said as he elbowed his brother, "very funny. I ran into her twice-"

"Three times," Fili corrected his brother.

"Shut up…"

Caynna's eyes didn't leave Gandalf's face though as they shared a knowing look. Gandalf was about to say something when Thorin started. "Can you fight?" he asked.

"Must I answer that?" Caynna replied with a small smile.

Thorin seemed to be conflicted with himself. This woman was, after all, still a woman. A female even though she _was_ trained for this kind of quest they were about to embark on. On the other hand, he still didn't know anything about her except for what Gandalf had told him. Thorin wanted to know more of her backstory, something the wizard had refused to talk to him about despite his questioning. "If it helps any," Gandalf started as his eyes turned from Caynna to Thorin, "Caynna is not just any trained ranger and assassin as I have explained to you."

"What do you mean?" Thorin turned to Gandalf with a questioning look.

"This woman in front of you is none other than the Amarië herself," Gandalf said and the dwarves turned their shocked looks to Caynna.

"The Amarië?" Balin asked. "_You _are the Amarië?"

"Yes," Caynna responded with her usual expression of impassiveness.

"The Amarië is just a legend," Dwalin said with a wave of his hand. "Nothing more than a tale to tell others. Do you mock us, Gandalf, in trying to portray this _woman_," Caynna did not miss the way he emphasized the word, "as one of the most well-known assassins in all of Middle-Earth?"

Caynna's face grew impassive, something that did not go unnoticed by those at the head of the table. "I can assure you, Mister Dwalin," Caynna said as she unfastened her right gauntlet and placed it on the table, "that I _am _the Amarië and that this is no joke."

She removed the glove on her right hand and held it up. There, covering the entire back of her fisted hand was the iconic black tribal tattoo made only for the assassin wearing it. On all four sides of the single opened circle that rested in the middle were three, overlaid check marks with the larger ends going inward toward the circle, but not touching it.

It was the mark of the Amarië.

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***I suck at describing this tribal tattoo marking, or at least _I _think I am. They are HARD to describe. If you are interested in seeing what I tried to describe her tattoo as Google Images _small tribal tattoo designs_. It will most likely be the 7th picture with the copyright OPEN GRAPHIC DESIGN DOT COM at the top right hand corner. The tattoo that I tried to describe is the top left hand tattoo. Hopefully you'll be able to recognize it when you see it :) I tried XD. Also, it is on the story cover.**


	4. Chapter 4: Devyn

Chapter 4: Devyn

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**Updates every MONDAYS**

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**A/N: So, here is the next chapter. It is more of a backgroundish sort of chapter, memory fragments really, but I hope you all enjoy! I had something else to say, but I can't remember at this present moment XD**

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** Guest: **Thank you a ton! And I love Tilian too. Horses tend to be easier to write, but thank you tons again!

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"This is the Mark of the Amarië, _my _mark," Caynna said as she showed them the back of her hand.

"That's impossible," Fili said as he grabbed Caynna's hand and basically dragged it down to his level of eyesight where he was sitting.

_No, it's okay if you yank my arm out of my socket_, she thought as the two brothers looked at the mark.

Kili touched it gently. "It's really there," he said in shock.

_No shit,_ she thought to herself. "It's tattooed onto my skin," Caynna finished out loud in a bored voice as she gently pulled her hand back and looked to Dwalin. "Do you still think I'm a legend, Mister Dwalin?" Caynna asked as she grabbed her glove.

"No, I believe you now, lass," he said though he still sounded unconvinced.

That was when the two brothers caught sight of thin, white lines on Caynna's forearm. But just as they saw them, the sleeve covered them once more as Caynna put on her glove and then her gauntlet once more, the armor pieces tucking the shirt in. "I heard a rumor that you died a while back in a fire," Bofur offered.

Caynna looked at Gandalf, a surprised look on her face. Gandalf gave a nod at the lass, and she visibly changed from surprised to pissed. "He's still alive," she said calmly, though Thorin could hear the fear and anger in her voice. "He is still alive, isn't he?"

"Yes…" came the reluctant reply. "He survived as well."

"Who?" Ori asked confused.

"If you will excuse me," Caynna said before she moved swiftly and quietly up the table. "I need to talk to you," she said to Gandalf as she passed him and continued heading to the study. "And someone may want to get poor Mister Baggins off the ground."

Gandalf watched as Caynna turned the corner to another hallway. "I must go talk with her," Gandalf said as he stood and made his way after Caynna as Bofur picked up Bilbo like a potato sack and carried him to his favorite chair.

As Gandalf entered the study he saw Caynna pacing back and forth. "He won't come after me unless I'm alone," she muttered, her usual pondering inside her head coming out in words. "Yet if he comes after me while I'm with a group he may have his own behind him. If I go after him now-"

"Caynna, why don't we sit down and talk about this?" Gandalf said as he sat in a chair large enough for him.

"How did he survive?" she asked harshly as her calm mask disappeared. "I know he didn't follow me out the window."

"He went the opposite direction," Gandalf said as he smoked on his pipe. "And not only that, but he was not injured like you."

"I watched the building collapse on him, Gandalf! I barely made it out myself."

"Caynna, he is alive and he will come after you," Gandalf said in a severe tone. "How, I do not know yet-"

"That doesn't help me. He was the one that killed those other assassins in the guild I was a part of. I was tracking him and why I almost killed him if it wasn't for those stupid novices-"

"Those 'stupid novices' are dead."

"I know. I killed them too. They were in league with my target. I have-"

"You _will not _go after him. He is far too strong for you," Gandalf said as Caynna started pacing and muttering once again.

"I just have to gather information on his whereabouts, his routines-"

"You cannot possibly defeat him-"

"-find his weakness, corner him-"

"-you are not even ready-"

"-or maybe find a decoy and try-" she continued.

"-are you even listening-"

"-I could lead him on a trail-" back and forth she paced.

"-Caynna, you must understand-" Gandalf tried reasoning with her.

"-follow him…no, he would see that-"

"-he will killyou," Gandalf sighed though Caynna did not hear.

"-he would know that I would be coming after-"

"He will _kill _you!" Gandalf shouted as he stood up swiftly. "You will be _dead _before you get within a mile of him! You are _outmatched_ this time around!"

Silence spread throughout the house as Gandalf's shouting reached every corner of the hobbit hole. Even the company of dwarves gave a start at the yell. "Caynna, you cannot defeat him," Gandalf started in a gentler, yet still firm, voice.

"I…can," Caynna said weakly as she backed up against the desk and leaned on it for support as she looked down. "I…no…yes…I can…"

"You will be _dead _before you can even try to kill him."

Caynna shook her head. "No, I can…"

Gandalf watched Caynna's face fall from stubborn to understanding as she slowly lifted her head to face Gandalf. "I really can't," she asked as she averted her eyes and looked out across the room to the hallway, "can I?"

"No," Gandalf shook his head. "You need more time, more experience with harder opponents which is why I want you to join us on this quest. If you can come out alive you _will _be able to defeat him. But you must trust me on this."

Caynna was silent for a moment before she gave a nod. "I will trust you, Gandalf. I always have, and I will not stop now."

Gandalf gave a relieved sigh before he smiled at Caynna. "I know you are strong, but he is not to be trifled with or underestimated."

"I know. I did so once, and I will not do it again."

"I have to go check on the hobbit. But promise me, Caynna, that you will not leave this company to go after him."

Caynna looked Gandalf in the eye and gave a nod. "You have my word, Gandalf," she said. "I always keep my word."

"I know you do."

Gandalf gave her one last smile before he left the study and the lass in it. Caynna was deep in her thoughts when she heard someone walking her way. "Can I help you, Fili?" she asked in her usual calm though she did not meet his eyes as she was too deep in her own thoughts.

"You look like you need some company," he said with a nod.

"No thank you," she said calmly though underneath she was raging. _What I need is this guy's head on a pike, _she finished the thought angrily.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"You can tell me," Fili said with a reassuring smile.

"Fili, you can tell your uncle that if he wants to get any kind of background information from me that he will talk to me himself," Caynna said.

"How-"

Caynna gave Fili a "really" look. "Fili, what am I again?" she asked him rhetorically.

"Besides that," Fili said as he crossed his arms over his chest, "do you want to talk to me about this?"

Caynna gave Fili an empty look before giving a sigh. "I know you are trying to help, but I only met you and your brother several hours ago along with the rest of this company," Caynna said. "Maybe some other time after I've gotten to know and trust this company more, but not right now."

Fili turned and began to leave. "Alright then. I will hold you to that," he said as he left the study.

As he past the now nearly empty pantry, his brother caught up with him. "Did she say anything?" Kili asked.

"No," Fili replied with a surprised look. "You thought I could get something out of her?"

"You've always been able to in the past," Kili said with a smirk.

"Shut up!" said Fili as he pushed his brother away slightly.

Caynna stayed in the study for a few moments longer before she walked out, her calm demeanor back once more. That was when she heard the soft humming coming from the living room. It was the dwarves. Then, a single voice started the song. It was Thorin, much to Caynna's surprise, though she didn't know why she was surprised in the first place.

_"Far over the misty mountains cold. _

_"To dungeons deep, and caverns old._

_"We must away, 'ere break of day. _

_"To find our long-forgotten gold." _

The other dwarves stood slowly and joined in on the song.

_"The pines were roaring on the height. _

_"The winds were moaning in the night. _

_"The fire was red, it flaming spread._

_"The trees like torches blazed with light."_

Caynna knew the song meant a lot to the dwarves, but somehow it meant little to her. She never really had a home to begin with, and couldn't see someone ever offering her a home still. Soon, all the dwarves found a spot in the living room and hallway leading to the living room to sleep with the exception of Thorin, who took the large guest bedroom curtsy of Bilbo, and his nephews, who took the smaller guest room. Caynna was offered the second guest bedroom first, but she politely declined and instead took a spot in the study. She had taken to sharpening her short swords before sleeping, much to Bilbo's dislike, and now placed them next to her as she curled into her cloak which she had placed back on herself along with her jacket, which she tied up on herself. Caynna closed her eyes and drifted off into a fitful sleep, something she was used to nowadays.

* * *

_Caynna looked into the lifeless, dark brown eyes of one of her mentors. She held a bloodied dagger close to her heart as she closed her old mentor's eyes. She stood as someone placed a blanket over the body, her dead mentor now in good hands. "Caynna!" someone called her name as her hand holding the bloodied dagger dropped to her side. "Caynna," they said again._

_Caynna turned and caught sight of a tall, muscular man with medium length black hair pulled back into a low ponytail and a shadow on his face. His bright blue eyes searched for Caynna's face as he unhooked his dark grey cloak and draped it over a shivering, soaking wet apprentice. His dark grey pants were slightly wet from running through the pouring rain outside, and his black boots were covered in mud. Blood from several cuts on his arm stained his grey, long sleeved shirt under his dark grey leather jerkin. He made his way through the remains of the entryway of the once hidden assassin's guild on the east side of Minas Tirith, rubble and crumbling walls allowing the rain outside to find a way into the old building in several different spots. He pulled Caynna gently into his arms as she turned to him, her short stature compared to his six foot frame making it an odd pairing._

_"I was too late, Devyn," Caynna said into her friend's shoulder, his strong arms holding the lass steady. "I was too late…"_

_"Let's go somewhere else," he said quietly and turned Caynna toward a hallway that led to one of the meeting rooms._

_Once inside, he shut the door and turned to face Caynna. She stood holding the dagger that had killed her mentor. "You're bleeding," Devyn said as he caught sight of Caynna's bloodied, bear arms._

_Several large gashes rested on her forearms, five on her left and four on her right. Devyn rushed over and gently removed the dagger from Caynna's hand to place it on the table. "I wasn't prepared," she said quietly as Devyn began to bandage her bloodied arms._

_"What happened?"_

_"You weren't here?" she asked._

_"I was ambushed on my way over."_

_"It's him, Devyn," Caynna said as her dark, storm grey eyes met Devyn's blue. "I tried to stop him-"_

_"And he did this? Were you even armed?!"_

_Caynna shook her head. "I was heading to bed when he came and attacked."_

_"Did you see where he went? Sorry," Devyn said as he tied the bandage on Caynna's left arm tight making her wince in pain._

_"They took the backdoor out."_

_"Did they do anything else to you?"_

_"No," Caynna said offended._

_Devyn gave Caynna a "really" look. "I meant did they catch you anywhere else besides your forearms," he said with a small smile._

_Caynna looked up from her arms into Devyn's eyes. They both gave a soft chuckle as they thought of the drunken man that had tried to get Caynna to sleep with him once. It turned out that the lass had kicked the man so hard in the place the sun doesn't shine that he could no longer bear children. "Just my arms," Caynna said after a moment of silence between the two. "I'm going after him."_

_"What? Caynna-"_

_"I swore that I would. I never go back on my word."_

_"You can't go after him on your own."_

_"I'm not going to sit here and do nothing while he goes about killing those of our brotherhood!"_

_Devyn was silent as he searched Caynna's impassive face, only her eyes betrayed the hurt and determination that she felt. He tucked a stray lock of hair back behind Caynna's ear. "I like it when your hair is down in all these waves," he mumbled making Caynna smile slightly. "If you are going after him, I'm coming with you."_

_Caynna shook her head. "I can't ask you-"_

_"I'm _telling _you that I'm coming with," Devyn said as he held Caynna's face in his hands. "I swear to you, Caynna, that I will help you take out this bastard no matter what. He took the life of my own brother and now has taken the life of my uncle. Caynna," Devyn started as he looked into the lass's eyes, "did he say anything else to you?"_

_Caynna tried to look away, but couldn't. She was trapped in the icy blue gaze of the guy in front of her. "He…" she started to trail off, and Devyn could see her mind turning behind her eyes._

_"Don't lie to me, Caynna. I know that look," he said in a soft voice. "What did he say?"_

_" 'The Amarië is mine'," Caynna said quietly._

_"He's going to try and kill you," Devyn said more to himself than to Caynna._

_"I have to-"_

_"You may be a full ranked assassin, Caynna, but he has _years _over you. Years! He's been training since he was five years old. He's got more tricks up his sleeve than you or I put together, and we're pretty tricky."_

_"Then we'll just have to outsmart him," Caynna said with a coy smile. "Won't we now?"_

_"We'll start tomorrow. We'll gather all the information we can while your arms heal and then we'll go after him."_

_"Deal."_

_"Will you be alright?" Devyn asked as they left the meeting room and made their way toward the master assassin quarters where their rooms were still intact._

_"Yeah…I'll be fine," Caynna said with a shrug as she opened the door to her room and walked inside._

_Devyn shook his head as he lingered outside Caynna's room. "You know where to find me if you need me," he said._

_Caynna's back faced him as she gave a nod in understanding. As Devyn turned to leave, he stopped and walked back in the room. He slowly brought Caynna around to face him, leaned down and gently pulled Caynna into a hug. She returned the hug, both understanding the other's pain without having to convey the words as Devyn held Caynna close to him. "If something were to have happened to you…" he started and trailed off._

_"Nothing did, though," she said._

_"I love you, you know. You're my little sister."_

_"And I love you too, Devyn. We'll find this bastard and bring him down."_

_Devyn pulled away and left Caynna to her thoughts._

* * *

A soft voice flitted through the air of the hobbit hole. It reached the ears of the person that was awake by a window watching the shaking form of the lass on the study floor. One word that sent confusion through the dwarf's head: _Devyn._

"What are you still doing up? It's near midnight," Fili asked his brother as he walked up to him, neither able to sleep with so many thoughts in their heads.

"Can't sleep," Kili said in a low voice. "She's been talking in her sleep. It's kind of…unnerving."

"What has she said?" Fili asked as he looked over at the sleeping form of Caynna as her grip tightened on her swords.

"Just a name."

Fili raised an eyebrow in question, but Caynna's soft, sleepy voice beat Kili to the word: _Devyn. _

The two watched as Caynna shifted slightly and touched her neck gently before her grip on her swords tightened so much that her knuckles turned white. "That is unnerving," Fili said with a nod.

"She's remembering something."

"And I don't think it's a good memory," finished Fili as Caynna turned over to her other side, her swords clutched tightly to her chest like a life line.

She moved to face the two brothers, and her usual impassive, calm, smiling face had changed to one of pain and sorrow. The brothers exchanged a look as Caynna said the name again, though this time they could hear the panic and anguish in the single word: _Devyn._

* * *

_She was being pushed along the way through an abandoned and burnt down village. Snow reined slowly from the cloudy night sky, the white flakes falling about her as she was pushed again by the two cloaked and hooded men. Her own cloak had been left on Tilian's saddle. Caynna had sent the horse on as she was pulled from the saddle earlier. Her upper arms were bloodied and bruised along with a large gash from her shoulder to the middle of her chest right below her sternum. Her hair was slightly messy, but still up in the French braid with the three braids on each side of her head. She glared at the six men that stood in front of a large bonfire, a single man standing out among them._

_The six hooded figures in front of her parted as she was pulled to a stop, her hands bound behind her back as the two hooded figures held her and four more joined the half circle around the bonfire, the twelve figures bowed their heads as three more walked around the bonfire, a familiar black haired blue-eyed man held in between two of the cloaked figures. "Devyn," Caynna whispered the name._

_Devyn looked up at Caynna, his eyes betraying his emotions as he caught sight of Caynna. They swirled back and forth from anger to pain to sorrow. He, too, was bloodied and beat up. "Caynna," he mumbled the word as he was half dragged half pushed in front of the bonfire._

_The third cloak figure that had led the two holding Devyn stepped forward and removed his cloak. Short, light auburn hair and hazel eyes turned to meet Caynna's dark storm grey eyes. "You," she said angrily, "Brogan!"_

_"It's great to hear your voice, my little Amarië," Brogan said as his face turned upward in an evil smile. "It's been a long time since you said my name."_

_"You bastard-" she started and was punched hard in the gut making her double over in gasps of pain._

_"Don't touch her!" Devyn yelled out._

_Caynna's struggled against the two men holding her, but to no avail. "Brogan, let him go," she said with a groan of pain._

_Brogan gave an "aw" as he walked toward Caynna. "I don't think so, my little Amarië. You see, you two caused me a lot of trouble and a lot of dead men," he said as he lifted Caynna's face to look at his._

_Caynna shook her head out of his grasp and glared at him. "You killed our friends, our brothers," she said plainly and angrily._

_"I killed those who betrayed me," Brogan answered in anger and hate. "They left me on my own against those brutes in the mountains! They left me for dead!"_

_Caynna glared at Brogan. "It wasn't as if they had a choice! Devyn and I searched for you for a whole year! A whole damn _year_, Brogan! We didn't leave you," she said harshly, "we couldn't find you."_

_"What was it that our uncle said again? 'Never leave a brother behind'?" Brogan repeated._

_"We didn't have a choice," Devyn added angrily._

_"No, you didn't," Brogan replied. "But now, neither will you. 'Never leave a brother behind'." Brogan paced back and forth before he stopped in front of Devyn. "If it was Caynna instead of I who was left in the mountains, what would you have done?"_

_Devyn was silent as he glared at Brogan._

_"You wouldn't have given up on her as easily as you did me. Your own _blood _brother."_

_"I didn't have a choice, Brogan! Uncle called us back! The brotherhood was under attack-"_

_"By the same people that took me," Brogan interrupted, "by the same people you see here right now; ex-assassins."_

_"If it was up to us we would have stayed-" Caynna started._

_"But you didn't. Now, I'll give you two a choice," Brogan snapped. "Who will be left for dead this time?"_

_ "No," Caynna said as she turned to Brogan._

_"Either one of you dies, or you both die," he said plainly and motioned to the two. "You choose."_

_Caynna looked to Devyn who shook his head. "Why don't you fight me, Brogan? Or are you too scared that I'll kill you this time?" Caynna taunted._

_Brogan made a clucking sound. "That won't do now," he smiled. "One, or the other."_

_"Then take me," she said quickly. "Let Devyn go!"_

_"Caynna," Devyn shouted._

_Brogan moved up to Caynna and then bent down to her ear. "You choose who gets left behind."_

_Caynna's eyes widened as Brogan turned and stalked up to Devyn. "No, Brogan, no!" she yelled out. "Don't!"_

_"Too late, sweetheart. You should have thought about the consequences before you two left me for dead in the mountains alone," Brogan sneered._

_In a swift motion, he brought around his short sword sliced Devyn's stomach, his blood dripping onto the white snow. "Devyn!" Caynna shouted as Devyn fell to the snow, his blood staining the white snow red._

_Brogan gave a nod to the men holding Caynna. One brought out a dagger and sliced Caynna's left side open from the back of her left shoulder to the front of her left hip. It was deep enough to stop her from following them and to scar over, but not deep enough to kill her immediately. She was thrown to the ground as the cloaked figures turned away to their horses that were standing next to the burnt buildings. They mounted and began to ride off, all but Brogan. He stalked toward Caynna and bent down to her level and lifted her chin up to him, her dark, storm grey eyes glaring up at him. "I'll see you again sometime soon," he said with a sneer. "Good-bye, my little Amarië."_

_"You bastard, I'll _kill _you," she said as Brogan laughed and dropped his hand from her chin as he moved away._

_Caynna watched as Brogan mounted his black war horse and took off after the rest of his men at a gallop. She got up shakily on her legs and rushed over to where Devyn was on his back clutching his bleeding stomach. "Devyn," she said in panic as she fell on her knees by his side. "Oh, by Mahal…I…I'm so sorry!"_

_"Caynna," Devyn said in a pained voice as he moved his hands to his neck and unclasped his necklace, "just shut up and smile."_

_"What?" she asked as tears began to form in her eyes as Devyn took one of Caynna's hands weakly._

_"I want to see that smile of yours," he said as he looked into Caynna's eyes and placed his necklace in her hand. "Just one last time."_

_"No," she said with a shake of her head, "no, you're not dying on me, Devyn."_

_She brought her middle and index finger to her lips and whistled, Tilian giving out a loud neigh in response as he made his way toward them. Devyn grimaced in pain as Caynna could see him visibly fading away. "Devyn, stay with me," she said as she moved the strands of stray hair away from his forehead. "Just stay with me."_

_Devyn raised an eyebrow and Caynna gave a small chuckle and a smile at his choice of a facial expression in his current predicament. "There it is," he whispered with his own smile._

_"Devyn…Devyn," Caynna said in panic as the light left Devyn's icy blue eyes. "Devyn! No, don't leave me! You can't leave me! Devyn!"_

_Tilian walked forward toward the shaking form of his rider as she held her dead friend in a final hug. "Brogan!" she yelled to the wind. "I'm going to kill you! I swear by everything I hold dear that I will find you and kill you!"_

_Tilian shrank back away from the lass as she closed Devyn's eyes and kissed him gently on the forehead. "I'll kill him, Devyn," she promised her dead brother, "I'll kill him."_

_As she stood, the pain in her left side increased tenfold, and she doubled over. Tilian moved forward as Caynna began to fall. He stuck his nose out and caught the small woman with his head. "I need help, Tilian," she mumbled as the amount of blood she was losing started to take its toll. "Go get help…now."_

_The horse gave a snort before he gently set the woman down on the ground, her one hand clutching the necklace Devyn had given her. The last thing Caynna saw before she blacked out was her horse galloping off to find help._


	5. Chapter 5: The Start of a Journey

Chapter 5: The Start of a Journey

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**Updates every ****_Monday_**

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**A/N: Here is Monday's update! Not much I have to say...at all really...I forgot what I was going to say. But, the journey will be slow going for the first few chapters so that I may develop Caynna's character and personality more, and show her growing relationships with the members of the company. No Kili/OC lovey dovey shit. Just subtle friendly things because no one falls in love within a week as far as I know XD People may, but I have never really seen it, and I want to be as realistic as possible with this as well. Lot of filler chapters to come as well!**

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**Thanks for Favoriting:  
**_mrs Tall Blonde and Dead_

**Thanks for Following:  
**_LadyNoxEcho_

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** Littleflower19: **Lol thanks! And you have a whole _week _before the next update XD take your time in reading it, no rush. As for the dream-memory-flashback thingy (for I have no other words for it in all honesty), I try my best to make them come out good and well written, and I am glad that they do! Thank you so much, and I will do so!

** XxKicking Your AxX: **It is, and it was a bit hard to right to tell the truth.

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Caynna sat upright quickly, the pain of her old wounds lingering as she took deep breaths to calm her racing heart, Devyn's face fading back into memory. She unhooked the necklace that he had given her, and dropped it into her open hand. The black and white thin horse tail braided necklace was lined at intervals with small, silver clasps, six clasps in all, bordered by two silver beads on each end. Each clasp held the assassin marking of each of Devyn's family members starting with his uncle and two oldest brothers on one side with Brogan's being the closest to the clasp on that side, and his two younger brothers and Caynna's own marking on the other, hers being closest to the pendent on that side. The silver pendent that hung off of the necklace was actually Devyn's own marking on a small silver circle pendent that hung between two silver beads. The white and black thin horse tail braids were interwoven with each other, the white horse tail being Devyn's stallion and the black horse tail being Tilian's (though he had opposed _greatly _to having his tail cut for a necklace that day years back).

Caynna looked at the necklace for a moment longer before placing it back around her neck and under her shirt once more, the necklace being the only item she had to remember the closest family she had ever had in her entire life. They were all dead now except for Brogan, of course. _But he will be soon_, Caynna thought. _He may be family, but he betrayed us. I won't ever remove his clasp, but I will remove him from the world._

She looked around at the still sleeping company before she looked out the window. Dawn was just starting to peak. She shook her head as she stood, her scars from her memories stinging slightly as she did so. She strapped her weapons on over her tied jacket and made her way around the sleeping dwarves to the pantry.

She found a few apples in the back and ate two. Soft voices floated to her ears as she left the pantry, and she caught sight of Kili and Fili sitting at the table talking in quite voices. She turned to leave before they caught sight of her, but luck just wasn't on her side. "Caynna," Fili called quietly, "come sit with us."

Caynna groaned on the inside as she turned. That was when she remembered she was still wearing her cloak, and unhooked it, folding it in her arms as she made her way to the kitchen. "Morning," she said.

"You're up earlier," Kili commented.

"I'm actually surprised I slept so well. Normally I would be up after a few hour's rest."

Fili and Kili shared a look before turning back to the lass. She didn't miss the questioning looks in their eyes, nor did she miss the knowing look that had passed between them. Her face was impassive for a second before she gave a small groan and put her forehead on the table. "Not again," she mumbled. "Was I talking in my sleep last night?"

"Yes," the brothers both answered.

"What did I say this time?"

"Well…" Fili started not knowing whether or not they should tell the lass, "you said a name."

"Which one?" she asked.

"I believe it was Devyn," Kili offered.

Caynna sat up, her face impassive once more. "Any others?"

"Brogan."

Caynna gave a nod and looked down at her hands, a frown forming on her face. "What's wrong?" Fili asked.

"Did I do it again?" she mumbled to herself as she began to pull off her gauntlets.

"Do…what?" the brothers asked.

She then removed her gloves and slowly flipped her hands over. Dark, blue and purple bruises in the shape of her short sword pommels rested over her palms. She tested the bruises and winced slightly. "I was gripping my swords so hard that I bruised my hands," she explained as she looked up and held her hands up for the brothers to see.

The two brother's faces flinched as they looked at the hands. "Ow…" Fili said as he rubbed his own. Then he noticed the thin white scars on her hands as did Kili.

"Where did you get the scars?" Kili asked.

Caynna pulled her gloves and gauntlets back on, the black tattoo disappearing from view along with the bruises and scars. "Those are from my climbing expeditions," she said with her usual smile. "Ever try to scale a watch tower in Minas Tirith in the rain? It's not easy."

Just at that moment, as if he had been waiting to see if the lass would give out any information about her background, Thorin appeared from the living room. "Fili, Kili, go get the ponies ready," he said and then turned to Caynna. "Will you be joining us, then?"

"If you will have me, sir, then yes. Though, I did promise Gandalf that I would come along. I never go back on my word," Caynna said as she stood.

"I'll trust Gandalf and allow you to accompany us. But-"

"Yes, sir, I understand," Caynna said as she gathered her cloak in her arms, her eyes never leaving Thorin's. "If I get on your bad side, make you mistrust me, give you a reason to kill me, the usual warnings. I go through this all the time when taking on contracts with large, or small, groups. If you will excuse me, sir, I'm going to get my own horse ready."

Caynna gave a small bow of her head, her eyes never leaving Thorin's, before she turned and walked out of the kitchen. Thorin gave her an intrigued look, curious as to how such a simple female half-breed had earned herself the title of master assassin and was so courteous at the same time. Caynna shrugged it off as she silently made her way over to the door and out of it. She pulled her cloak on once more to save from having to carry it or scare the hobbits of Hobbiton as Kili and Fili joined her on the road, the brothers strapping on their own weapons as they followed Caynna down the path. "It's a lot easier to find your way through this place during the day," she commented as she took in the surroundings. "How did I lose my way four times last night?"

Kili and Fili chuckled. "Four times?" Fili asked.

"That's two less than Uncle," added Kili.

"Great math work, Kili."

"So, you aren't going to run into anyone today, right?" Kili asked with a smirk

"That depends," Caynna replied with a smile as they left Hobbiton. "As long as you don't stand in my way, I think I'll be alright."

"So," Fili started after a moment of silence, his curiosity getting the better of him and his brother, "who's Brogan?"

"The man I've been trying to kill," Caynna said. "Though, he seems to escape death a _little _too easy for my liking."

"And Devyn?" Kili asked.

Caynna was silent for a moment. "Devyn was a good friend of mine," she started and the two brothers could see they hit a sore spot as the lass's hand touched the hidden necklace resting just below her collar bone, "well, more like a brother to me. I knew him since I was fifteen. We trained as assassins together along with his brothers, including his older brother Brogan. At the age of twenty-five, we earned our names and our master titles. A few months after, we were sent on a contract into the Misty Mountains after a group of ex-assassins. That was when everything changed between the three of us. Brogan disappeared in the mountains. We searched for him for a whole year in those stupid mountains until the brotherhood called us back. We didn't see him for years. About ten years ago, he killed Devyn and nearly killed me…twice. So, it's safe to say that he's still alive, but won't be for long."

"I'm sorry," Kili said. "We didn't mean to push-"

"It's quite alright," Caynna waved him off with a small smile. "I mean, I was talking in my sleep. An explanation had to be given eventually. Though, the next time I start doing that, please wake me up so I can avoid the bruises on my hands. They're a pain to work with."

They had arrived at the Green Dragon, and Caynna could hear the sixteen ponies neighing in the back stable. She gave a loud whistle with her index and middle finger, and Tilian gave a whinny in reply. He rounded the corner, his coat covered in dirt and his mane tangled slightly. The stallion's ears went back at the sight of Kili, and he bared his teeth with a snort in warning to the dwarf. "Tilian, be nice," Caynna said as she walked past the horse and pulled on his forelock. "Come on, I'll brush you down."

The horse gave the dwarf prince one last snort before he followed Caynna back toward the stable. "That horse does not like you, brother," Fili commented as they followed the two.

"I can tell," Kili said as he eyed the horse warily.

The two brothers pulled out the ponies and tethered them to the hitching post outside the stalls. They fed and watered each pony before they went down the line and brushed each horse starting with the last pony they watered and moved up the line. By the time they had finished brushing down each pony, Caynna had also finished feeding and brushing down Tilian and had also managed to detangle the horse's hair. She checked the tack to make sure everything was in perfect condition before she slowly began to tack the horse up, fixing each hidden dagger as she did so. By the time Tilian was tacked up, the two brothers were finishing their own ponies. Caynna then removed her cloak, rolled it up, and placed it in one of the saddle bags under her bow and quiver. She then removed her weapons and took off her leather jacket and placed it in with her cloak before she strapped her weapons back on.

As she turned back to the two brothers, she noticed that they had started moving the ponies to the front of the Green Dragon, the company beginning to arrive at the meeting point. Tilian gave a snort before he nosed his saddle. "Are you ready to get going again?" Caynna asked and the horse gave a nicker. "We will soon."

Caynna swung up into the saddle as Tilian began to walk out toward the company. He arched his neck and assumed his proud look as he walked out, his ears going back at the sight of Kili who was wise enough to stay out of biting range of the horse. Thorin looked at the stallion, his eyes showing betraying how impressed he was that Caynna could gentle such a beast. "That's a fine horse, lass," Balin said as he, too, examined the horse.

"Thank you, but don't tell Tilian that," Caynna said as she reached over and gently grabbed the stallion's ear making him twitch his head up a bit, "he already as a big ego."

The horse gave an offended whinny and stuck his head up in offense before he gave a glare to Kili as the dwarf prince got onto his own pony. "He doesn't like Kili very much," Nori commented as he got onto his pony.

"That's because he saw Kili land on Caynna's back," Fili explained to which the horse gave a nod of his head and a snort.

"Let's go," Thorin called out.

"What about Bilbo?" Bofur asked.

"He'll either catch up or stay home."

"We'll take the back," Caynna told Tilian to which the horse agreed with a nicker.

He gave Kili a sly look as the two brothers took up the end of the line as well. "He won't come," Dori said from ahead of them.

"How can you be so sure, Mister Dori?" Caynna asked.

"He couldn't even finish reading the contract without fainting!"

"That doesn't mean Mister Baggins will not come."

"Do you want to bet on that, Miss Caynna?"

Fili and Kili looked back at Caynna who gave them a knowing smile. "Never bet an assassin when they know all the details," she mumbled to them. "I'll bet on it. How much?"

"Ten silver pieces he won't come," Dori said with a smirk.

"Ten silver pieces that Mister Baggins will come, Mister Dori," Caynna confirmed.

At the mention of the bet between the two, others swiftly joined in. Kili and Oin bet Nori that the hobbit would show to which he bet against. Several others ahead of them also placed bets, and Caynna could say that the majority placed their bets on the notion that the hobbit wouldn't show. "I said it didn't I?" Dori spoke up after a few minutes. "Coming here was a waste of time."

"That's true enough," Gloin agreed with Dori.

"Ridiculous notion. Use a hobbit? A Halfling? Whose idea was it anyway?"

"Mister Dori has little faith in others, doesn't he?" Caynna asked Fili.

"Most of the older dwarves don't place their trust in outsiders," the blonde dwarf explained.

"They're just stubborn," added Kili.

"Wait!" someone shouted. "Wait!"

_Oh, would you look who showed?_ Caynna thought with a hidden smirk toward Dori.

Bilbo came running up to the company, slightly out of breath as he slowed to a walk in front of Balin. "I signed it! Here," he said as he handed the contract over to Balin.

The old dwarf raised his eyebrows as he took out his eye glass and inspected the signature to make the hobbit feel better about himself before he folded up the contract up and placed both items away in a saddle bag. "Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield," the old dwarf smiled at the hobbit and gave him a wink as the other dwarves in the company chuckled a bit.

"Good morning, Mister Baggins," Caynna said from the back of the line. "It is good to see you have come."

"Good morning to you as well, Miss Caynna," Bilbo said before he took a look at Tilian. "That's not a pony," the hobbit gulped. "That's a large horse."

"This is Tilian, and he is only two hands above pony height, so he's actually a small horse. Large compared to you, though."

"Give him a pony," Thorin grumbled loudly as he turned his own pony back around.

"Oh, no, no, no. That won't be necessary. Thank you. I'm sure I can keep up on foot," Bilbo started to object.

The hobbit continued on about his "walking holidays" as Kili and Fili rode up behind him and grabbed a strap on each side of the hobbit's pack and hoisted him into the air. They carried him over to Myrtle where they placed Bilbo onto the pony's back. "She's gentle and won't spook," Fili said as he turned to drop back to the end of the line next to Caynna.

"That is, of course, as long as she doesn't see a snake," added Kili before he, too, moved to the end of the line once more.

"Snakes?" Caynna asked.

"Nah, she's as calm as can be," Kili said.

"He's clearly never ridden before," added Fili.

"Come on, Nori, pay up!" Oin yelled out and Nori tossed him a bag of coins.

"You too, Mister Dori!" Caynna added and caught a small bag from the dwarf. "Thank you!"

"One more!" added Kili.

Nori tossed another bag and Kili went to catch it only for Tilian to reach out and grab the bag from the air. "Hey!" Kili exclaimed as the horse danced out of his way. "Caynna!"

Caynna held her hands up away from the reins. "Not my doing," she said.

"Tilian!" The horse gave a pleased look as he danced out of Kili's way again. "Give it-"

"Come on, boy," Caynna said through laughs as Kili's pony gave an annoyed huff from the constant turning, "give Kili his money."

The horse turned to Caynna and shook his head. "Tilian," Caynna said in a stern voice but the horse refused.

She reached out to grab the bag only for Tilian to move his head away in time nearly sending Caynna to the ground with the movement. He danced away from Kili once more and even Fili tried to grab the bag, but to no avail. Even after the line had stopped due to Bilbo asking to turn around for his handkerchief, which they ignored and continued on, the trio still couldn't grab the bag from the horse. "Tilian!" Caynna said as she grabbed the reins and pulled back.

The horse ducked his head in and began to back up past Kili. The dwarf reached out and snagged the bag quickly and pocketed it as Caynna let go. Tilian gave the three an upset look before he assumed his egotistical look once more. "Stop looking offended, no one did anything to you," Caynna told the horse.

Tilian, in turn, gave a pathetic whinny in hurt. "You didn't bet on anything," Caynna said and the horse gave a snort. "Whatever to you too."

"Do you always do that?" Fili asked.

"Talk to your horse?" clarified Kili.

"Well, he is the only company I have most of the time," she told them. "This is the first time I have actually traveled with a group in over two years."

"That's a long time."

Caynna shrugged. "I'm used to traveling alone. I've done it all my life with the occasional exception. Mostly I traveled with Tilian and Devyn, but even then we often went different ways during the day when we worked contracts."

"Were your contracts always difficult?" Fili asked.

"Not all."

"Did they ever require you to work with someone else?" Kili asked.

_This is going to be a long journey, _she thought. _I don't mind, but they may question me to death._

"Sometimes."

"What was your hardest challenge during your training?" Dori asked.

Caynna thought for a moment and then gave a small smile. "The hardest challenge during my training," she repeated, and noticed several of the dwarves had their ears tuned to the assassin. "For me, personally, the hardest challenge was a night climbing expedition of the north east watch tower in Minas Tirith. Actually, I had lost a bet against Brogan and had to climb the watch tower on a night of a New Moon-"

"What was the bet?" Ori interrupted.

Caynna gave a sheepish smile. "The bet was if I could pull enough courage to wear a dress he and Devyn bought me or not," she said. "Naturally, I hid from them so they couldn't force me to wear it."

"You lost a bet," Fili started in surprise.

"-by not wearing a dress," finished Kili.

"It was too…girly…" Caynna said as she pulled a face and then shrugged. "So I climbed that tower. Now, you must know that this tower has nearly no spots to get a hand or foot hold on, so it was quite the task. After I did that, and managed to somehow get off the tower as well, I put the dress on to humor them."

"So, you lost a bet," Kili said.

"-climbed a dangerous watch tower-" Fili added.

"-and then put on the dress in the end."

Caynna frowned. "It wasn't the best outcome, okay?" she said.

"Did you ever have to steal?" Nori asked enthusiastically.

"Multiple times," Caynna nodded. "I mainly stole documents and letters so that I could figure out my target's plan and find a way to either deal with them or eliminate them."

"Did you ever have to pose as a noble lady?" Bofur asked.

"If you haven't noticed," Caynna started, "that I am a bit _too _short to be a _noble lady_."

"So…did you?"

"Yes, but I often went as a lady in waiting. It worked out much better due to the fact that many of the men liked younger women," Caynna shook her head in disgust.

"What was your worst contract?" Oin asked.

"My worst contract? I would have to say it was assassinate a blind man's brother. I had to be this blind man's wife…" Caynna trailed off in the memory with a shake of her head. "That was _awful_! He was a ninety year old human!"

"Did any of your contracts require you to learn how to use different weapons?" Gloin asked.

"Oh, plenty of times," Caynna said with a smile. "I had to learn how to fight with a war hammer and axe. That was interesting to say the least. But, naturally, I prefer my short swords to any other weapon."

Bifur spoke in a low tone to Bofur, and said listening brother turned back to Caynna. "Bifur here can't speak the common tongue," Bofur said. "But he would like to know what weapon was the most interesting to learn how to use."

"Hmm…" Caynna was silent for a moment as she thought back to all the weapons she had to learn to use. And then it hit her. "I must say that the most interesting weapon I have ever learned how to use, though I cannot use it still to this day, is the one your brother is holding."

"Really?" the three youngest dwarves asked.

"Yes, really. I accidentally impaled my target's guards and then my target. But no matter, that contract was taken care of," Caynna said with a wave of her hand.

"Do you know how to cook?" Bombur asked.

Caynna gave a nod. "I do," she said though no one missed the sly smile she had on her face.

"And how well can you cook?" Kili asked.

"I'm not the best by a woman's standards," Caynna said. "But, I can turn a disaster into a decent meal and a decent meal into a disaster depending on the circumstances…if you know what I mean."

The dwarves didn't. "What do you mean by disaster?" Ori asked superstitiously.

"By disaster, I mean I can make the meal taste normal, but by the end of the hour you may find your insides have become your outsides. Or, perhaps, you may find out that you are slowly dying with not medical cure. Or, my favorite, you may become increasingly drunk and find yourself dead within the hour."

Ori gulped nervously and Caynna gave him a reassuring smile, or so she hoped. "But, I can also reverse the effects of those poisoned meals by simply adding certain items into the meal without ever having to restart them or destroy them," Caynna said and immediately the dwarves relaxed. "Several contracts have called for me to do so. The side effect of saving one's life from the poisoned meal is severe stomach pains for at least two hours, but one will survive anyhow."

"Have you ever had a contract that _did not _involve you killing someone, lassie?" Balin asked.

"Oh, of course!" Caynna said. "I have often taken courier assignments, luring assignments, brawl assignments, and the like."

"You've been in brawls?" Dwalin asked in shock as he turned to look at the lass.

"Plenty of times in my trainee years, Mister Dwalin," Caynna said with a nod and then a frown. "Though, I think each time someone had to come to my victim's help."

"Why is that?"

"Before each brawl assignment, I would go out with Brogan and Devyn and we would have a few drinks," Caynna said, though the way she said "few" meant that she probably had more than what she let on. "I do not like myself when I drink. I can become very angry in a matter of seconds, or I can be a stranger's best friend in the blink of an eye. That is why when I stopped taking those assignments I also stopped drinking."

"So that is why you do not drink?"

"Exactly," Caynna confirmed.

The questions kept coming. Caynna didn't mind, and she found herself enjoying the time talking with the company even if at some points two dwarf princes went from questioning to interrogating her.

* * *

"What are you doing, Ori?" Caynna asked as she sat down next to the young dwarf.

They had stopped for the night off the side of the road in the safety of the forest next to them. Bombur had made a nice stew, and had just finished dishing it out to everyone in the company. Caynna looked at Ori as she ate some of her stew. The dwarf didn't look her in the eyes, but rather out of the corner of his eyes. "Oh…just…drawing," he said shyly.

Caynna gave a nod. "May I see?" she asked gently as if talking to a small child.

Ori gave a shy nod and turned his sketch book toward Caynna. She was amazed by the dwarf's artistic skills. It was of Tilian being his proud self with Kili's bag of gold in his mouth and Caynna smiling in laughter at the horse. Kili was attempting to grab the bag from the horse, his own pony looking a bit flustered as he failed at grabbing the bag of coins. The drawing was done so beautifully all the way down to the fine hairs on Tilian's head to Caynna's scar. "This is amazing," Caynna said as she examined the picture.

"Thank you, Miss Caynna," Ori beamed at her under his shy little smile.

_By Mahal, he's adorable! _Caynna thought with her own smile. _Like a little shy puppy!_

It was true. She looked at Ori and ended up picturing him as a shy little red haired puppy that was always had happy wagging tail with large eyes and a slight scared nature. "You capture Tilian really well," Caynna said as she looked back at the picture.

At the mention of the horse, Tilian immediately made his way over to the two and peered around Caynna's shoulder to see the picture. Tilian cocked his head to the side before righting himself and assuming his proud, egotistical expression just like the picture. Caynna shook her head while Ori smiled at Tilian, pleased that the horse approved of himself in the picture.

* * *

The second day of traveling found Caynna at the back of the line with Kili and Fili, the two brothers having asked her to travel at the back once more. Fortunately for Caynna, who had found herself in another interrogation by the two, Bofur and Nori were quite curious to the way Tilian often looked at Kili. "Caynna, why don't you ride with us for a bit?" Bofur asked as Nori gave a nod.

Tilian snorted in agreement. "Alright," Caynna said with a smile.

Tilian moved in next to Bofur's pony, and pulled himself back into a proud walk. "We can't help but notice the way Tilian gives Kili funny looks," Bofur started.

"He doesn't like Kili," Caynna said.

The horse gave a nicker in agreement. "Why is that?" Bofur asked.

"You know, Mister Bofur, I haven't figured that out myself as of yet. Though, I do believe it has something to do with Kili falling on me when we first met."

"What is with the titles, lass?" Nori asked with a half frown, half smile.

"It is common courtesy that I give to those I travel with," Caynna replied with a smile.

"You don't need to give us titles."

"Aye, we are no one special," Bofur added as he pulled his pipe out.

"Then I shall receive none in return," Caynna replied with a smile.

"Good, because we weren't going to start," Kili joked, the two brothers naturally eavesdropping on the conversation.

Caynna shrugged. "I see no difference," she said honestly.

Kili waited a minute longer to see if Caynna would say anything else, but the lass didn't. "About that wager, Fili," Kili said to his brother.

Caynna tuned them out as they continued along, delving deep into her thoughts as the day wore on. She did not let on to the two brothers when she noticed them peel off to the side as they found a snake. Fili moved and placed the snake in Caynna's saddle bag with great stealth, something that actually shocked Caynna on the inside. When they stopped to give the horses a rest, Caynna gently reached in, took the large, harmless grass snake out of her bag and placed it in Fili's. When they started up once more, she heard the two whispering. "Did she find it yet?" Kili asked.

"I don't think so," Fili answered.

"Do you have my dagger in your bag from the other night?"

"Yes. Here you-" Fili's talk was cut off as he let out a scream of fright.

The whole procession stopped as the blonde dwarf threw the snake backward and into a tree while the company laughed. "Kili!" both Fili and Thorin yelled.

"It wasn't me!" the dwarf in question said in offense as they started moving again.

Caynna turned to the two brothers, an impassive expression on her face. "Strange thing to find a snake in one's saddle bags," she said. "Luckily, it was only a harmless grass snake. I do not see why you freaked out so much, Fili."

"You put it in my bag!" he accused the lass.

"If I recall, you placed him in my bag first," Caynna said as she turned back. "Next time, I would choose something that doesn't hiss as loud as a simple grass snake."

"Your face was priceless," Kili said with a laugh.

"Between you and the snake, I don't know which was more surprised."

"Ha, ha," Fili grumbled, "very funny you two."

* * *

As they continued to ride the next day, Caynna noticed the way Bilbo still seemed out of place on his pony's back even after the two days of riding. She urged Tilian up to the poor hobbit, and observed the way he rode his pony. He was stiff in the back, held the reins up and away from him, leaned away from the pony's head, and generally seemed out of place on the pony. Caynna gave a small shake of her head as she looked at Bilbo, the hobbit looking like a kid on a horse for the first time in his life after two days of constant riding. "Try relaxing in the saddle a bit, Mister Baggins," Caynna said gently as Tilian rode up beside the chestnut pony. "When you relax, so will she."

Bilbo seemed to relax, but was leaning too far back in the saddle still. "Lean forward some, you'll cause the muscles in your back to knot and cramp more if you continue to lounge against the bags," Caynna directed.

"I've never really ridden a pony before up to now," Bilbo admitted.

"I'll be blunt with you, Mister Baggins. We can all tell."

A few dwarves snickered at her comment, and the poor hobbit slouched in embarrassment before perking up a bit as Caynna offered a smile. "How do you become so relaxed when you are constantly riding a horse?" he asked.

"For one, you develop a relationship with the horse, or pony, that you ride," Caynna said with a nod to Bilbo's pony. "You have already begun to develop one with yours. What is her name?"

"Myrtle…I think," Bilbo said with a frown.

"Don't hold the reins up high like you are doing. Just relax your hands and give Myrtle her head," Caynna said as she leaned over and adjusted the hobbit's grasp on the reins.

Myrtle let out a nicker in content at having her head back and someone relaxed at her reins. "What was that?" Bilbo asked in fright at the mare's noise.

"She's thanking you for giving her some headway," Bofur laughed.

"Try to loosen up," Caynna continued to give the hobbit pointers. "If you are relaxed, Myrtle will also be relaxed. If she picks up the pace too much, just pull back on the reins. If you want her to pick up the pace, just give her a small nudge with your heels. Otherwise, all you really have to do is have a relaxed disposition, calm hand on the reins, and you'll stay on."

_Well, hopefully, _Caynna finished in her head as she caught ear of two brothers devising an evil plan to get the poor hobbit to fall off Myrtle's back.


	6. Chapter 6: Inquisitive Dwarves

Chapter 6: Inquisitive Dwarves

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**Updates every Monday**

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**A/N: Well...have a bit more background on Caynna...I think. I've had this one done for a while now, and I've been going back through ****_Scarlet Eyes _****so I didn't exactly proof this chapter yet. Expect some editing of past chapters this week as well!**

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Caynna traveled at the back of the company most often, usually scouting ahead with Fili and Kili, and just generally staying with the two brothers as they seemed to welcome her more so than the other dwarves. Bofur had taken a liking to Caynna as well, and he would often talk with her about her more dangerous expeditions of climbing. Ori also seemed to warm up to Caynna as they traveled on, and he would ask her of her opinion on a few of his drawings to which Caynna was constantly amazed by the skill of the young scribe. Ori's brothers took longer to actually warm up to Caynna, but the lass found the two older Ri brothers slowly coming around. No matter how hard Caynna tried, she could never discern what Bifur thought of her. Bombur would sometimes spark up a conversation about food and cooking. He found that Caynna knew her spices and herbs very well be it for poisoning someone, saving someone, or making a meal taste better. In turn, Caynna had also learned more about the different ways to actually cook food, though she was less enthusiastic to try it and rather watched the overly fat dwarf cook the food instead.

Oin, being the company's medic, would sometimes ask Caynna about different treatments to poisons to which the lass happily obliged to tell him as it seemed to make the members of the company calm down even more so around her knowing that she was willingly giving them cures to possible poisons. Oin's brother, on the other hand, often bombarded the lass with questions about weapons and fights that she had been in. Caynna found herself enjoying the dwarf's alternative solutions to ending someone's life with a swing of an axe of another weapon.

Balin, the older dwarf being more sentiment than the others, often asked Caynna of her history. She gave out little to the older dwarf, but she gladly told him about her travels around Middle Earth. Dwalin seemed to just listen and observe Caynna rather than talk with her. He seemed to be keeping a close eye on the lass rather than openly talk with her. He would sometimes join in some of the conversations with a question of his own, but he hardly ever started up a conversation with the lass. Thorin was rather quiet and just watched Caynna. He would sometimes give her orders like the rest of the company, but he was still rather apprehensive of the lass, and preferred to do just like his advisers and observe her.

It had been a little over a week since they left the shire and were currently traveling through Bree-land. All in all, the company warmed up to Caynna slowly, but some still didn't trust her as much as the younger dwarves. "Hmm…that's odd," Caynna said suddenly.

"What?" the brothers asked at the same time.

Caynna had been looking at the company ahead when she caught sight of something flying above head in the air. "I wonder…" she trailed off before letting out a whistle.

Most of the company turned back to give her an odd look, but then their gaze shifted upwards to the hawk that gave a call back as it dove through the sky. "Well, wouldn't you know," Caynna gave a smile. "It's a messenger hawk."

Caynna stretched out her arm as the hawk landed on it, a rolled up parchment attached to the silver cuff to its leg. As Caynna looked at the cuff, her brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't remember sending my hawk anywhere," she said.

"What is it?" Kili asked as he tried to get closer only to have his pony dance away from Tilian's bared teeth.

"This is my mark," Caynna explained as she unhooked the letter attached to the hawk's leg. "But I haven't contacted anyone in a month."

The hawk moved from Caynna's arm to back of the saddle and waited for its next command. Caynna looked at the letter before opening it. A single message was written on it in a handwriting well known to Caynna:

_I know where you are, my little Amarië. You can't hide from me, and you can't escape me._

_I will find you._

_And I will kill you along with the rest of your friends._

_-Brogan_

"No…" Caynna started in fright as she read the words.

"What's wrong?" Kili asked as the usually smiling or impassive face of Caynna's turned to one of fright.

She looked up sharply and the face was gone as she pocketed the letter and sent the hawk away. "Nothing. Just…some news from the guild," she said in her calm tone.

"What do you know about dwarves?" Fili asked after a moment of silence.

"That they're stubborn," was the immediate reply.

"That's it?"

Caynna thought for a second and gave a nod. "That's it. I never really spent time among dwarves since I was always among men."

"To pass the time," Fili started.

"We place bets," added Kili.

"On mindless things really-"

"-but things that tend to make the journey more…well…"

"Interesting," they chorused.

"What's the current bet?" Caynna asked with a straight face.

"See Bombur?" Bofur asked as he felt the need to join in the conversation.

Caynna saw Bombur, the fat dwarf was perched hazardously in the saddle, and Caynna could make out the strained girth buckle around the pony's stomach. "I see him," she gave a nod.

"The bet right now is to see how long he will stay atop of the pony. Kili and Fili-"

"-loosened it," the brothers chorused again.

"He's actually staying on pretty well," Fili added.

"So what's the actual bet?" Caynna asked.

"Five silver pieces he falls off within the next hour," Kili said.

"Five that he won't," Bofur countered. "They think that since they loosened the girth that he'll fall off. Bombur, despite his round size, is actually quite steady on a pony."

Caynna raised an eyebrow as she surveyed the overly fat dwarf. Indeed, he had good posture and balance in the saddle which was practically keeping him from falling off, but with a little nudge in the right direction he would most likely tumble to the side. "How long will it take to get him back up in the saddle?" Caynna asked.

"Depends on how far he rolls," Kili said which earned a snicker from Fili.

Caynna looked around them and noticed the small hill they were now climbing. An idea hit her. If they wanted to make wagers throughout this entire trip on stupid or funny things in the least, then so be it. But she was _not _going to be left out of it. "Five silver pieces he falls off at the top of the hill," she said to Bofur.

Bofur raised an eyebrow but gave a nod. "Deal," he said.

The two brothers in front of Caynna turned to look at the lass and caught sight of her sly smile before it disappeared. They exchanged a confused face as they turned back toward the hill they were climbing. As Bombur was coming closer to the top, Kili looked back at Caynna once more and noticed her right hand in her small pouch on her hip. He figured she was pulling out the money to pay Bofur up as Bombur reached the top of the hill. But, as soon as the dwarf's pony was steady on the top of the hill, the saddle's girth suddenly unbuckled and fell, the fat dwarf falling off the pony and rolling down the hill in a shout of surprise. Bifur and Bofur immediately took off after their rolling brother, the pony looking quite confused as to what happened while some of the other dwarves laughed.

"Kili! Fili! What in Durin's name did you do to the saddle?" Thorin shouted angrily.

"Nothing, Uncle!" they chorused back as they dismounted and moved to re-saddle the pony as Bofur and Bifur were helping Bombur back up the hill.

Kili tightened the girth as tight as he could, and buckled it down. As he stopped to gather a fallen pack, a silver glint caught his eye. He picked it up and pocketed his find as he strapped the pack back onto the back of the saddle. The four dwarves helped Bombur back into the saddle, huffs and puffs coming from each as they hoisted the fat dwarf up. Once Bombur was securely placed in his saddle, the line began to head off once more. Fili held Kili's pony as he jumped into the saddle, a grin on both of their faces as Bofur paid up the money he lost. Once the dwarf paid and moved up the line next to his fat brother, Kili turned to Caynna. "I believe this is yours," he said as he held up a five and a half inch long throwing blade.

"Oh, did I drop that?" Caynna asked innocently as she placed the knife back into her pouch.

"You did that?" Fili asked.

"How were you able to unhook the girth without damaging the saddle?" Kili added.

"The way you rigged it to barely have a hold in the buckle made it so a single nudge in the right direction would send it tumbling off. I just gave it that nudge."

"That's such a tiny target," added Fili.

"Not if you're used to throwing at small targets. Besides, he would have fallen anyway...and luck was on my side. I was praying I didn't hit the pony."

"How do you know he would fall off?" Kili asked.

"He was already leaning to the side," Caynna pointed out. "Now, if you two can think of something better than a simple 'he's going to fall off' bet, let me know."

"Caynna, my dear, will you join us?" Gandalf called back to the lass.

Tilian was already cantering to the front before Caynna could tell him. "What is it?" she asked.

"You and Thorin should get to know each other better. Either that or he will have his nephews bombard you with even questions just to get answers."

With that said, Gandalf ushered his horse backward toward Bilbo and away from the dwarf king and assassin. Snickers and chuckles sounded throughout the company as Thorin and Caynna began to move forward once more. "They've taken wagers at how long we will last in each other's company," Thorin said quietly.

"What's the longest time?" Caynna asked in the same tone.

"Ten minutes."

Caynna was silent for a moment before she frowned. "Well…that's not going to work now, is it?" she asked with a smile.

"No," Thorin agreed.

"What would you like to know, sir?" she asked.

"How many men have you killed?"

_Hmph…forward are we?_ Caynna thought. "I've killed a lot."

"An exact number, perhaps?"

"I lost count a long time ago," Caynna said. "How many enemies have you killed?"

"A lot," came the reply. "I've seen battle where you, on the other hand-"

"Have also seen battle," Caynna cut in with a small smile. "I may not have fought against an army, sir, but I have fought in plenty smaller battles to say the least. What else?"

"Why are you so…polite?"

"Well, _sir_," she emphasized the word with a smile and earned the smallest ghost of a rare smile from the dwarf next to her, "I the way I was raised by a ranger. In assassin's guild I was always a part of taught to be polite. Curtsey is a virtue, you know, sir. Though, I will probably ask those of this company to not call me 'miss'. It feels weird, and it makes me feel old."

"How old are you?"

Caynna's face furrowed into a thoughtful frown, obviously never having to think about her age. "I believe I am…hmm…I think I am turning forty-nine this week," she said though she didn't sound quite confident. Being half dwarf, she looked rather young, but was actually older than she looked.

Thorin had to give a small chuckle. "You don't know your own age?" he asked incredulously making the lass feel embarrassed as a slight pink tint came into her cheeks.

"I haven't celebrated my birthday in a good twenty years after I started searching for Brogan with…my friend…"

"What's the day?"

Her brow furrowed in concentration. "Friday?" she asked rather than said.

"It is Saturday, Caynna," Gandalf called from the back. "And you will be forty-eight."

"I was close!" she called back to the wizard which earned her a few chuckles. "Closer than last time when I thought I was fifty and I was turning forty."

"It is a step closer to you remembering your _actual _birthday."

"I get the general idea right…"

"Why are you here?" Thorin asked after a moment's pause. "What made you stay besides Gandalf's words?"

Caynna was silent. Why did she stay? Tilian gave a nervous nicker as he looked back at Caynna. The lass stroked his neck in reassurance, but was still quiet. "You are traveling to regain your home, something that I've never had to do for I have never had a home. I am traveling with you because…well…I…"

Thorin could see the nervousness in Caynna's eyes as well as the stubbornness. She wanted to say something, but her pride was keeping her from doing so. "Does it have something to do with this Brogan person?" Thorin offered.

"Not something," she said as her voice dropped lower, "everything. I…"

"You're afraid," he said quietly to keep the conversation between the two. "You are afraid that he will kill you first."

Caynna went to object but stopped, her eyes slowly meeting Thorin's. "Yes…I am," she said in the same tone as her usual impassive walls began to crumble once more, and Thorin could see that he was digging into a sore spot of the lass. "I wasn't so much as surprised the other night that he was alive but rather that he hasn't come after me."

"What is it that keeps you from going after him?"

"He's far more experienced than me…"

"And?"

"He can kill me easier…"

"Yes?"

"He's more experienced-"

"You already said that," Thorin frowned.

"I did?" Caynna asked and Thorin could see the confliction in her eyes. She was hiding something.

Kili and Fili began to make their way up the line to scout ahead when Thorin turned to them. "Caynna and I will scout ahead," he said sharply before urging his pony into a canter ahead.

"Caynna and I…what?" Caynna started in confusion before understanding dawned on her face. "Oh…right…"

She urged Tilian into a canter after Thorin, her mind in disarray. As they moved out of earshot of the company, Thorin slowed his pony to a walk as did Caynna. "What are you not telling us?" he asked. "Gandalf has told me all he knows about your past that you would freely share, but there is a good few years missing up to now. What happened that has made you question your own abilities as the Amarië?"

Caynna's eyes showed the battle she was fighting with herself, but Thorin could see her practical side was winning over her pride. "This will stay between the two of us. You can trust me," Thorin assured her.

"I…no…" Caynna started as her eyes met Thorin's and he saw the walls go back up.

Thorin was thoroughly confused yet intrigued by the way the assassin could, at one moment, be perfectly calm, and the next have no walls to hide what she was really feeling, and then immediately throw them back up. This assassin had obviously had years and years to build the walls up around her, and she was not to be pushed too far. "Perhaps another time, then," Thorin asked.

"Perhaps," Caynna said as she relaxed her whole demeanor. "Some things are better left unsaid at points, and this is one of them."

Thorin gave a nod as they lapsed into silence, scouting the land ahead of them, the sun high in the sky. They returned to the company, Caynna riding straight to the back once more. Several grumbles were heard as the dwarves paid up to the winners. "What did Uncle want?" Kili asked as Tilian sidled up into his spot right behind the two brothers.

"He wanted to talk is all," Caynna said.

Just ahead of the trio Ori's pony began to act up. She suddenly froze to the spot, ears against her head and eyes rolling back in fright. "Whoa, girl, whoa," Ori said trying to calm the pony.

"Ori, watch out!" Dori called to his little brother too late.

Something in the grass slithered by and Caynna knew right away it was a snake, a large one at that but harmless. "Well, there's the pony that hates snakes," Fili said.

"It's a good thing Ori can ride," Kili added.

"He _can_ ride a bucking pony, right?"

"Oh…well…put that way I don't think he can."

Ori's pony backed up in fear, the young dwarf looking confused and frightened at what to do when suddenly his pony gave a rear. "Dori!" Ori called to his brother as the pony began to give another rear.

Little Ori was tossed from his saddle as the snake slithered right under his pony's hooves, sending the horse into a massive panic. It took off at a gallop faster than Caynna thought possible for the little horse. "Someone get the pony!" Nori said as the runaway pony began to race past the company.

"I got her," Caynna said as Kili and Fili started to move after the pony.

Tilian gave a snort and a half rear, the egocentric horse wanted to make an exit, before taking off at a dead gallop after the pony. They drew level with the pony, but the spooked animal wasn't going to stop anytime soon. It shied away from Tilian as the horse came up to its side. "Get me close," Caynna told Tilian as the horse moved back toward the pony.

Just before the pony could shy away again, Caynna jumped and landed half in the saddle, half out. She hoisted herself up and began to slow the pony to a walk, the frightened animal huffing from the run. "There we go," Caynna said as she stroked the pony's neck. "See? That wasn't so bad."

Tilian stopped next to the calmed down pony as Caynna took the pony's reins and hopped back into Tilian's saddle. The horse turned and they walked back to the company to allow the pony to catch its breath once more. "Here you go, Ori," Caynna said as she handed the young dwarf the pony's reins.

"Thank you," he said shyly as he remounted the pony and the company set off once more.

Tilian arched his neck in pride as they started once more. "Uncle's agitated," Kili said.

"He doesn't like delays," his brother added.

"And we've had two so far."

"Three, actually, if you count Bilbo earlier this week."

"Well, four then since we are counting this from the start. He stopped us once on the road and then again for his-"

"Handkerchief," the two said.

Caynna said nothing as she observed the company. The dwarves mingled with each other and often ended up taking up different spots along the line, none of the ponies protesting too much.

They started to follow a stream closer to the end of the day, and when Thorin called to stop for the night, Tilian gave a confused look to Caynna who just shook her head. "How many times do I have to tell you that they don't travel at night?" she dismounted and loosened the girth to Tilian's saddle to make the horse more comfortable until she could get around taking off the saddle as she turned to Thorin who was currently dishing out responsibilities to the dwarves.

"Kili, Caynna, see if you can catch anything," Thorin called out.

"Yes, sir," Caynna said at the same time Kili said, "Yes, Uncle"

Caynna unhooked her bow and quiver from the back of the saddle, and then proceeded to strap the quiver on over her short swords on her back. She turned and began to walk around Tilian when she nearly ran into Kili who was busy testing his bow. They both gave a start and ended up smiling as they walked back toward the small forest they were near. "I thought you were going to watch where you were going," Kili said.

"I was. It was you who was busy this time," Caynna defended with a smile.

"I'll try not to make it a habit," Kili countered in a slight teasing voice.

"Deer tracks here."

"Fresh…several minutes old maybe?" Kili said as he examined them.

"I'd say fifteen to be exact. Shall we?"

"Let's," Kili said and the two took off after the deer tracks with hunter quietness.

"Oi, Fili! Think the lass will bring back the deer?" Bofur asked.

"No," Fili said with a smirk. "Kili will. He's the best shot we have."

"I bet my night's watch that Caynna comes back with the deer."

"You are going to lose this one," Fili said confidently. "I bet my next _two _night's watches on Kili killing the deer."

Unfortunately, Fili lost as Caynna came back with the deer over her shoulders while Kili had two braces of hares. Bombur and Bofur began to clean the kill as Caynna walked over to Tilian. The horse gave her a questioning glance as he looked at the tethered and grouped up ponies. "No, you won't be stuck with them," she said to the horse who let out an overly exaggerated sigh of relief.

She unsaddled the horse and brushed him down before taking the saddle and placed it on the large boulder behind them, setting her bow and quiver with it as well. She wasn't situated far from the fire as Bombur began to cook up the stew. Tilian gave a snort in warning, but it went unheeded by the two brothers that plopped themselves down next to Caynna who was in the middle of cleaning her short sword. "I was just telling Fili that _you _were the one to take down the deer," Kili said in a huff.

"I still don't think he did," Fili started.

"Which is why we are here-"

"-to clear this up now."

"He has a watch placed on this bet-" Kili said with a roll of his eyes.

"-tonight's to be exact-" added Fili.

"-and he doesn't want to lose it."

"Alright, Fili," Caynna said with an exasperated sigh and a smile. "Kili killed the deer and I tracked down the rabbits."

"What?" both brothers chorused.

"I knew it!" Fili said as he jumped up and rushed over to Bofur.

Kili turned raised eyebrows to Caynna who was concentrated on cleaning her second short sword. "Why-" he started.

"Did I lie? He's bet his next _two _watches on you catching that deer," Caynna said as she held her blade up and examined it. "Why disappoint him?"

"Well-"

"You caught the deer and then I caught the rabbits, but we switched to see how many bet on you and how many bet on me to catch the deer," Caynna said with a note of finality.

Kili shrugged and stood up. "If you say so," he said and held a hand down to Caynna. "Supper's ready. Care to join us?"

Caynna sheathed her blade and stood up refusing Kili's outstretched hand. "After you," he said with a smile. "That way you don't run me over."

Tilian gave the dwarf a glare as they made their way over to Bombur to get some stew. "He _really _doesn't like me," Kili commented as they got their bowls.

"He's just over protective and holds grudges," Caynna explained as they moved and got their stew.

"Is Fili speaking the truth about the deer?" Bofur asked the two as he dished out stew to them.

"Yes," both Caynna and Kili said and Bofur gave a groan as the two turned back to the spot next to the rock, Fili joining them.

"Why did I bet against him?" Bofur said. "No sleep…at all…"

"You'll get enough sleep, Bofur," Fili said with a smirk. "Unless you want to stay up the entire night."

"I'd rather not."

Ironically enough, after everyone had dinner and began to settle in, Bofur got first watch, and then the brothers would take up the next watch. Caynna quietly listened to the two brothers next to her talk. She realized that they probably trusted her more so than she would ever trust them after a month, which is saying something because for her trust doesn't come _too _easy. Her quietness didn't go unnoticed by the two, and soon they had gone quiet as well, a curious look on each of their faces as they watched Caynna's impassive face turn into a frowning, slightly confused, glaring look, something that she often did when she was thinking. "What are you thinking about?" Fili asked.

Caynna didn't respond right away, but waited and gathered her thoughts. "I've noticed the way most of this company looks at me," Caynna said as her calm expression returned. "They trust me. Why is that?"

"You're part of the company," Kili started.

"What is there not to trust?" finished Fili.

_My past_, Caynna thought, but instead said something else entirely. "I'm an assassin."

"It doesn't matter if you are an assassin-" Kili said.

"-or a dwarf-"

"-or a hobbit-"

"-or even a wizard," Fili said though he eyed Gandalf to see if the wizard had heard him.

"We are all in this journey together," stated Kili with a confident smile.

"Whether everyone likes it-"

"-or not," the brothers said.

Caynna gave a nod in understanding. She realized that she had gotten too used to earning people's trust instead of being granted the privilege of having it right off the bat. It was an odd feeling, knowing those of the company trusted her. Just how far that trust went, Caynna did not know, though she highly doubted the older dwarves were ready to place their lives in her hands. "You're doing it again," Kili said.

"Doing what?" asked Caynna.

Fili peered around his brother to look at Caynna. "Thinking," they said.

"You have this…face that you make when you think," Fili explained.

Caynna gave a small smile and looked down at her short sword in her hands. "So I've been told," she said softly before giving a quiet whistle as she stood.

Tilian walked over and laid down right against the side of the rock, his head facing the two brothers. He gave a snort in warning to Kili making the dwarf prince move to the other side of his brother. "You get to sit closest to the horse," Kili said.

Tilian gave a nod and relaxed as Fili was pushed closer to the horse. "At least he likes _me_," Fili retorted.

Caynna shook her head at the horse before taking her cloak and curling up in it against the horse's side. "You are a horrible horse, Tilian," she told the horse who gave her a nicker in thanks. "That wasn't a compliment."

The horse gave a snort as Caynna settled into his side to sleep.

* * *

_Caynna had been tracking him for days. The prints of his war horse were still fresh, and she was close to catching up. Little did she know what was really going on. She got off of Tilian's back, a slight shiver going up her spine as the cold night began to close in. She would need to get her cloak and jacket out from being tucked away underneath her bow and quiver as the night came in. She was just standing up when she noticed the subtle movement in the forest to her left and then to her right. _I'm surrounded, _she thought. _Shit talking mushrooms, this isn't good.

_Without warning, something struck her neck, a small pinch of pain coming from the strike. Caynna's hand flew to her neck and she removed a little dart dipped in a sleeping potion of some sort. It was slightly strong, but not strong enough as Caynna whipped out her single short blade, the other tucked safely under a hidden compartment in the saddle. "Go, Tilian," she told the horse and he took off back the way they came, not a single soul following the horse._

_Through her haze, Caynna attempted to fight. She held off her four assailants until something cracked across her forehead, the back end of a blade no doubt, which sent her into a black abyss._

_She awoke a few hours later with her hands bound in front of her in rough rope. She struggled and she felt her skin break and begin to bleed from the force of the increasing movement. Caynna turned her head and found herself in a cold, grey stone cell with a small, barred window at the top letting in the nearly full moon's light. The sound of a door creaking open alerted Caynna to what was happening. She stood up quickly; the movement making her head spin for a moment. The wooden door in front of her opened and Brogan walked in, his hazel eyes gleaming in joy at the sight of Caynna unable to escape. "Ah, my little Amarië," he sneered. "You finally woke."_

_Caynna glared at the man she once called her brother, the same man who killed his blood brother in cold hatred. "Brogan," she sneered. "Why don't you untie me and see how long it takes me to kill you?"_

_Brogan shut the door behind him, and the sound of two guards blocking the door reached Caynna's ears. _No way out…_ she thought. "I don't think that'd be a good idea," Brogan said as he advanced on Caynna._

_"What are you going to do?" she said in a challenging tone as she glared at Brogan. "Stare at me and hope I die without a fight?"_

_"No," he smirked. "I'll give you a choice: join me or I'll kill you slowly."_

_"Give it your best shot then," Caynna said as she stood straight and proud, "because I am not going to die so easily."_

_Caynna heard the unsheathed blade before she saw it come at her. She threw her arms up and avoided the strike to her face, but just barely. Her bonds were cut and she attacked back, wrestling the blade out of Brogan's hand before popping back up. Before she had a chance to attack Brogan, he slammed her against the wall knocking the breath out of her. "Nice try, my little Amarië," he whispered with a sly glint in his eyes, "but you'll have to do better than that if you're going to kill me."_

_A second blade came around as Caynna threw her left arm up as a shield. The blade sliced across her bicep before coming around across her exposed stomach. Caynna clenched her teeth shut in an attempt to hold back a yell of pain as the dagger sliced down her arm again. She kicked out at the last second and sent Brogan backward to the other wall. "Don't worry," she growled to him as she repositioned her dagger, "I'm just warming up."_

* * *

Tilian snorted awake as he felt the fear and pain coming from the sleeping form of Caynna. He nuzzled Caynna, and the lass jolted awake, her breathing coming fast. She looked around as she calmed down and found everyone, with the exception of Bofur, was asleep. She folded her cloak and put it away as Bofur stood to wake Kili for his watch though he would be taking Fili's. "I'll take your watch," Caynna said as Bofur got close.

The dwarf gave a start as he saw Caynna moving away from her saddle on the large boulder, the darkness seeming to pull away from her as she moved around Tilian to stand in front of Bofur. "You scared me, lass," he said before nodding to the two brothers sleeping. "Are you sure?"

"I am sure. I can't sleep."

"Thanks," Bofur said with a smile before turning and making his way to his bedroll.

Caynna gave soft sight as she sat against the rock with Tilian's head in her lap, the whole camp visible from her spot. She looked over at the two brothers sleeping peacefully without a worry. She turned to look out across the camp and observed the sleeping forms of the rest of the company, each seeming to be in a deep sleep of some form with most of the older dwarves snoring loudly. Well, the most noise coming from Oin and Gloin. Dwalin was snoring as well as Balin, but not as loud, and Dori occasionally added his own snoring. "Why are you up?" a soft, sleepy voice mumbled.

"I took your watch and Bofur's," Caynna said to Kili as the dwarf slowly sat up as to not disturb his sleeping brother, thought from the previous week's experience Caynna knew it wouldn't be too long before the blonde dwarf would wake as well.

"Why'd you do that?"

"I can't sleep."

Kili stood and made his way over to Caynna, Tilian giving him a look before deciding sleep was the better option at the moment. "He wants to sleep, so you'll be fine," Caynna said as the horse began to drift back off as he laid his head back in Caynna's lap.

Kili gingerly sat next to Caynna, eyeing the dozing horse before relaxing when he heard Tilian's soft, sleepy breathing. "He is really protective of you," Kili commented as he looked at the sleeping horse.

Caynna looked at the horse fondly. "I raised him myself," Caynna said. "He's always been there for me when I needed him most."

They lapsed into quiet silence, neither really wanting to speak at the moment. "Why did you get up anyway?" Caynna asked.

Kili shrugged. "I heard you talking with Bofur. I'm a light sleeper," he explained with a yawn.

"That'd explain why you, your brother, and even Mister Thorin don't snore," Caynna said with a small smile.

"What about you?"

"I just can't sleep."

"Why do you use titles with almost everyone?" Kili suddenly asked with a confused frown.

"It is courtesy."

"You know you don't have to."

"I probably don't," Caynna admitted with a smile, "but I will stop if they ask me too."

"Will you two be quiet? I'm actually trying to sleep," Fili grumbled to which Kili stretched and proceeded to lay his head on his brother's back.

"Sure thing, brother," Kili said as he got comfortable, a smug smile on his face.

"Kili," Fili said with his grumbling, tired voice.

"Yes?"

"Get off my back."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Will you two shut up?!" Bofur hissed.

"Sorry," they chorused.

"Obnoxious dwarf princes…"

"Why don't you go snuggle with Tilian? I'm sure the horse would love that," Fili offered.

"He'll bite me before I even get that close," Kili said as he sat up.

"Snuggle with Caynna, then…" Fili said as he rolled over on his back away from his brother.

Kili turned to Caynna and saw that she had on her thinking face once more as she stared at the ground. "Now he shuts up…" Fili muttered before he drifted back off to sleep.

"What's on your mind now?" Kili asked quietly for his brother's sake more than anyone else in the company.

Caynna gave a start and look up into Kili's smiling face. _That _has _to be his actual face, _Caynna thought. _He never stops smiling._ "I was actually zoning out," Caynna admitted.

"No you weren't," Kili said. "Come on, you can talk with me."

"I was just wondering if I have siblings somewhere out there," Caynna said softly. "Or if I even had some kind of family. My parents kind of abandoned me at the age of one, and left me for dead. I just sometimes wonder if I have _any _family left out in the world."

"You have us now," Kili said as he motioned to the company. "Once everyone warms up to you, of course, but we are all family here. Literally! One way or another we are related somehow."

Caynna smiled. "Do you always trust people this easily?"

"I'm just a likeable person unlike Fili. He's a grouch."

"I heard that," came the mumbled and muffled reply.

"See?"

"Shut up…"

Caynna gave a soft chuckle as she looked out across the camp. "What about Mister Thorin?" she asked.

"Uncle?" Kili said with a frown. "He doesn't trust outsiders easily, and I'm shocked that he took to you so well. But, perhaps that was Gandalf's doing."

"Without a doubt."

"You really just have to prove your worth to him before he lets you in," Kili explained. "His trust is hard to earn and easy to lose."

"And your brother?"

"Fili's like me, though I'm still better than him."

"Kili…" Fili said with a grumble.

"Yes, Fili?"

"Stop saying my name…"

"Fine, _Fili_."

Caynna smiled at the two's bickering before turning back to stroke Tilian's forelock. The horse nuzzled in deeper to Caynna's touch as he shifted closer to the lass. "He's snoring," Kili commented as he moved closer to Caynna to hear the horse.

Sure enough, the horse was making a soft snoring noise as his back legs moved slightly in his sleep. Kili chuckled at the horse. "I've never seen a horse do that," he said when Tilian's rear legs kicked slightly as his tail swished.

Caynna stroked Tilian's forelock, a gentle smile on her face. "He's different," she whispered as she moved his forelock away to reveal a rather large, jagged, rough scar on his forehead. "He got that from running into a tree as a foal. I gets offended when I tell people about it."

Caynna gently rubbed the scar with her pointer and middle finger, making the horse curl in on himself as she did so only to curl out when she stopped. Kili gave a small chuckle. "May I?" he asked and motioned to the horse.

Caynna smiled at him. "Gentle strokes," she said as Kili leaned over her slightly.

He mimicked the same motion as Caynna, and, sure enough, the horse curled in with a snort as he did so, and uncurled when Kili stopped and leaned back. A soft breeze blew and the horse gave a slight shiver, and proceeded to snuggle closer to Caynna causing the lass to give a huff as he tried to climb into her lap like a foal. "Oh, gods, Tilian," she muttered when the horse placed his right leg over Caynna's lap and was half laying in her lap, "you're too big to do this!"

The horse gave a sleepy snort in disagreement as Kili gave a quiet, muffled laugh as he moved closer to his brother and away from the horse and the lass. Caynna managed to wiggle her way out of Tilian's grasp. "I am guessing you will be taking this watch with me then," Caynna said as she sat next to Kili once more.

Kili shrugged. "I don't mind," he said. "I'm not that tired anyhow."

Caynna gave a nod as she began to think again. "Can I ask you something?" Kili asked.

"Go ahead," she replied.

"Where did you get the scars on your forearms?"

Caynna seemed to tense up at the question. Everything about her looked to have turned to stone as she stared at the floor, memories flashing through her eyes. But then, she seemed to unfreeze and regain her walls of calm as she turned and gave Kili a smile that never once reached her eyes. She unhooked her left gauntlet and pulled it off to set it by her side. As she was pulling her right gauntlet off, Fili's curiosity got the better of him having been awake since his brother woke him up, and was now sitting up and looking at Caynna with newfound interest. She pulled off her gloves and placed them by her side, her tattoo visible on her hand in the moon light. "I have several on my forearms," she began as she pulled her sleeves up to, but not over, her elbows revealing several white lines scars on both forearms.

She got up, and both brothers moving away from each other to allow room for the lass. Caynna sat in between both of the brothers so they could see the scars on her forearms better. Unknown to her, Thorin and Dwalin, who were seated against a tree not too far away, were also peering at the three. "These four here and these five here," Caynna said as she pointed to four large scars on her right arm and five on her left that had several crossing motions like someone had tried to slice her arms open, "are from an attack on the old guild on the east side of Minas Tirith. I was just heading to bed when they attacked. The man that attacked me had a dagger, and I was unarmed. The only thing I had to protect me was, obviously, my arms."

"So you used them like your gauntlets," Fili said.

"That must have been painful," added Kili.

"I hardly felt them," Caynna admitted. "After he sliced my arms up, I managed to get a hold of his neck and break it. That ended him quickly enough."

"What about these here?" Fili asked as he found several smaller scars on the inside of Caynna's forearm.

"You have them on this side as well," added Kili as he flipped Caynna's arm over to see several smaller scars going toward her hand.

"Those…" Caynna hesitated, Thorin and Dwalin leaning ever so slightly toward the trio as if they could urge the lass to continue. "Those are from…"

"She's nervous," Thorin said quietly to Dwalin.

"Aye," Dwalin gave a nod. "They are just scars. Why would someone be afraid to tell the tale behind them?"

"Because some tales shouldn't be told," Thorin responded as he watched Caynna calm herself with a deep breath in and then out as she pulled her arms back to her lap.

"Those scars are from when I was captured by Brogan," Caynna started with a nervous hint to her voice.

"What happened?" Fili prompted with much caution.

Caynna swallowed past the lump in her throat and took a deep breath once more. "It was the first time he had caught me, and it wasn't long after he had killed Devyn either, so I wasn't in the best condition to fight, let alone challenge him to kill me," Caynna said with a small smile, Thorin and Dwalin exchanging a look before turning back to the lass. "He gave me a choice: to join him or die."

"So you chose death," Fili said.

"Over joining him," finished Kili.

"I think my exact words were 'give it your best shot because I don't die easily'," Caynna said with a small chuckle. "He beat me up pretty good after that, although I gave a good fight. Obviously he wanted me to suffer. I had cracked four ribs, lost so much blood that I was constantly drifting in and out of consciousness, and was black and blue all over my arms and legs. For the record, kicking a stone wall doesn't help relieve the pain at all," Caynna said as an afterthought. "Anyway, I had barely any fight left after that so Brogan decided he was done torturing me himself…"

She paused again to gather her thoughts, the brothers exchanging another look. "What did he do?" Kili asked in a tone that suggested he was getting pissed off after every sentence, his brother's eyes reflecting the same look.

"He tied a rope around my ankles, attached it to a horse, and had the horse drag me across the ground out of the mountain," Caynna said angrily. "I managed to somehow get on the horse. To this day I still have no idea how I did it, but I got on the horse and rode it to the nearest town. I never thought that Brogan would go as low as to tie me to a _horse_ in an attempt to kill me," her nails dug into her palms in an attempt to still her anger. "Sure, it was a _near _death experience, but it was so low…"

Kili handed Caynna her gauntlets and gloves to which she began to put back on after pulling her sleeves down. "I'm still insulted by that," she finished with an angry sigh.

"She was tortured," Dwalin stated to Thorin.

Thorin gave a nod. "That'd explain why she didn't want to talk," he replied. "Though, I do not think that is the whole truth."

"Your nephews seem to have taken a liking to her. They already look like they want to kill this Brogan guy after hearing that."

Thorin gave another nod. "So it seems," he said.

"I agree with them, though," Dwalin said after a moment. "Assassin or not, no one should be put through that."

Thorin thought for a moment before realizing something. "That wasn't the first time she had been put through that," he said.

"How would you know?"

"She said 'the first time' meaning she's been through more than she is letting on. If you also noticed she only pulled her sleeves up to show her forearms. She's hiding something."

"She's an assassin," Dwalin said before slouching against the tree, "her secrets have secrets and even then those have secrets."

"But just how far do those secrets go?"

"Farther than you or I could probably ever imagine. And that, lad, you'll have to find out for yourself," Dwalin said in a voice that suggested he was beginning to doze. "Or your nephews will do it for you."


End file.
